Deja Vu
by Lady Kathryne
Summary: Bella returns home from a trip just in time to meet her new neighbor. She's just getting over a bad breakup as well as just starting her career. Can it work between the two when it comes out that her neighbor is her brother's best friend? Are sparks gonna fly or is the relationship gonna fade before it has a chance. AU, AH, language and themes.
1. Prologue

**Authors Notes:**

Ages are mixed up… I made them older. And yes, they still look like gods among men, they just have to work for those muscles. And, while they don't live ON the reservation anymore, they're still all a part of the same tribe; they just all ran in different circles of friends with a couple overlaps here and there.

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Prologue

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(**March**)

Bella Swan was many things; smart, laid back, shy when meeting new people, loyal and witty. A glutton for punishment was on the top of the list though as she thought of her recent and horrible break up it seemed. The last four years re-ran on a never ending loop in her mind as she slept in the patio chair on the back porch of her mothers beach house. The bright Florida sunshine had been doing wonders to raise her spirits for the last four days; if only she could steal the sunshine and take it back with her somehow she mused she might be that much happier when she went home.

The breeze from the Gulf of Mexico wafted up the Caspersen beach to her greedy lungs. She inhaled the salty sea air as she woke from her nap, allowing its calming scent to wash over her body. She sighed and stretched languidly, trying and failing to shake the negative thoughts from her mind as she was roused from the fogginess of sleep by a woman's quiet chuckle.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, baby girl." An amused voice said from beside her.

"Thanks mom. How long was I asleep?" She asked.

"You've only been asleep for about two hours. It's just past six or so now. I think that's the longest nap you've had since you got here four days ago." Came the easy answer.

Bella grinned at her mom, but chose not to agree or disagree for that matter- she'd never win in an argument against the woman anyways. "What's that?" She wondered when a tumbler of clear liquid was passed in her direction.

Renee only chuckled. "Ever the cautious one. It's a vodka tumbler. You're already in the bikini you swore I'd never get you to wear. And the cut offs make your legs stand out a mile." She said motioning to her short cut off jeans. "What's the worst that could happen?" She teased.

Bella slid her sunglasses on top of her head and leveled the woman with an arched eyebrow and a pointed stare. "You just want me drunk so I'll cry to you again." She huffed, taking the glass none the less. She was thankful they were in the shade now, otherwise she was sure the sun would have blinded her. Washington state was good for many things, having sun this bright wasn't one of them.

"You won't do it otherwise. Bottling emotions up is **definitely** not good for your aura." Renee fussed. "And yours needs work sweetie. So much negativity. No **wonder** you're so upset over some _boy_." She added.

Bella sighed and shook her head. She had already said she didn't want to talk about Edward Cullen again. Renee had a hard time understanding the reasons for it, due in part to Bella not wanting to go into great detail about what caused them to part ways in the first place.

A soft sigh to her left alerted her to the presence of her step dad, Phil. He merely shrugged and rolled his eyes. She grinned at him to show him she wasn't that mad. It was, after all, her last night staying with them. Her Spring break had drawn close to an end. She had just enough time to see her dad and her uncle too over the coming weekend.

"I wish you could stay longer, Bella. I don't like that you'll be going back to a home where you were hurt the way you were. It doesn't do well for your health to dwell in that miserable place." Renee pouted.

"I agree somewhat. Florida sun has done wonders for you. You don't look so much like a pale face anymore." Phil teased. "You've got a tan now." He added with a playful grin. Bella had spent a week in the sun, her light skin going a shade darker than before thanks to the time spent on the beach.

Bella laughed at that. "That's enough you two. I'll be alright. The friend I let live in my apartment after I moved in with Edward got transferred. She's moving out at the end of the week. Now that Edward and I have separated, I can move back into my old apartment and not have to deal with any painful reminders.

"Besides, I promised dad and uncle Billy I'd visit them too, you know. I don't get out to the reservation all that often anymore and Jake and the guys want me to come see them." She said.

"At least you have somewhere to go where you can heal. I'm only sorry that something like that had to happen to someone as wonderful as my little girl." Renee told her.

Bella smiled. "Thanks mom. You know me, I bounce back. I'll be fine in no time. I have my kids to keep me on my toes." She grinned thinking of her second grade class.

Renee only chuckled. "Spoken like a true teacher."

"So why haven't you been on the rez in so long? You're always telling us how much you love it there. Did something happen?" Phil wondered after a moment of silence.

"I've been busy. I have a class all to myself this year. Now that I'm not just a student teacher anymore- and between lesson plans and papers to grade- there's little time for much else. I haven't gotten to see a whole lot of anyone since school started back after winter break. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

"Paul's been going on and on about how he wants to use Edward for a punching bag. I need to calm him down soon. He'd more than likely follow through with it and leave Sam to run their shop all on his own while he sits in jail." Bella sighed.

Phil chuckled along with Renee. "It's his right as an older brother." Phil teased. "And I don't think he'd leave his business. Charlie has told us its like his baby." He added with a grin.

It amazed her how well all her parents got along- real parents and step parents alike. Oh well, opposites attract, she mused before what her step dad said sunk in through her still sleep fogged mind. "**Hey**! He's only older by _eight months_!" She huffed.

Phil laughed. "It took you long enough to pick up on that." He teased.

"Just because he could rival the jolly green giant in height and muscle mass doesn't mean he gets to pull the '_older brother card_' every time I go through a bad break up with someone! Good lord its bad enough he and Jake put the fear of God into any guy who liked me while we were all in school!" She grizzled.

Renee laughed. "Oh honey… I completely understand. You're uncle Billy used to swear he'd kill any man who even looked at me funny when we were teenagers. And there's little over two years between us. You just have to remind him that you can take care of yourself and hope he can understand. And if not, at least he cares enough to want to be your protector. Some step siblings never get along, no matter how old they are." She reminded her.

Bella smiled. "I know. Believe me I'm grateful. And Paul is only my step brother in title. That boy is my brother, no other way about it and I do love him. He just annoys me with the protectiveness. And besides, I'll get a chance to pester Jake, Quil and Embry too." She grinned.

Renee sighed and shook her head in amusement. "Billy tells me Jake's in his last year of college now. Or will be this coming fall. He's so proud of him. Sarah would be too." Her smile faltered as she thought of her sister in law. "I know I am." She finally said.

She didn't want to admit that Sarah's death still bothered her. The driver who had hit her sister-in-law and her brother had never been caught. Because of him, Sarah was dead, and Billy was paralyzed from the waist down, doomed to life as a widowed father in a wheel chair. It just wasn't fair in her opinion.

"Aunt Sarah is in a better place mom. Don't get sad on me. We both know she's at peace and she's watching over her family still." Bella's smile was sweet as she grasped her mothers hand in hers. "She blessed Uncle Billy with the strength of character to look after his family even after she left him on his own. He's blessed with her love and the love of all of us."

Phil was out of his element for a moment. He respected Renee's heritage, he just didn't understand it sometimes. To him, if a person died, they were dead. To Renee and Bella, when a person died, their souls became protectors… spirits to guide the ones they loved and keep them from straying down the wrong path. He smiled when the girls turned their eyes on him. They knew how he felt- even if he didn't say it. Nothing was said for a minute, they just basked in the peace that had washed over them.

"It's getting late. What do we say to dinner and then we can watch the sun set?" Phil asked, clearing his throat some.

Bella giggled. "Sure, sure. That sounds good."

Fifteen minutes later and the three sat down at the patio table with plates full of hamburgers, potato salad, coleslaw and drinks. When they were finished eating, they lapsed into a comfortable silence and lazed about, waiting to watch the sun set over the water. Her vacation had been spent trying to forget the image of her ex boyfriend, Edward Cullen with some other woman in their bed- a partner in his dad's law firm no less.

Four years. She'd given him four years of unwavering commitment. He'd been everything to her: her first kiss, her first love, she had even given him her virginity. In return, he had taken her will to live on her own away- or so he had nearly succeeded in doing.

Coming to see her mother had been the first step in learning she could live on her own again. Florida had been cathartic for her. She could finally breath easier. And now that she was on the way to visit her dad in the place she grew up- her home- it would be that much better.

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Bella sighed and inhaled the familiar, rich and heady aroma of the Washington air as she stepped out of the airport. True to his word, her dad stood waiting with a gentle smile gracing his lips. He leaned against the door of his personal vehicle- an older model, black, four door SUV with tinted windows. Thankfully it wasn't his patrol car. She grinned and waved her hand in front of her as she made her way towards him with her luggage rolling behind her.

Charlie smiled. "Hey Bells. Have a good trip?" He asked.

"Mom is mom. And Phil calms mom down, so yeah, it was alright. She sends her well wishes and wants me to tell you to have a space ready for Christmas. I guess Phil got some time off so he'll get to stay too." She parroted with a shrug.

Charlie grinned. "You sound so enthused." He teased when she rolled her eyes before climbing into the passenger seat.

"It's mom. We all know I'm more like you than she'd care to admit. But I love her all the same." She offered her explanation when he climbed into his seat. "Besides…. Florida is **way **too hot and she wanted me to move in near them." She shivered.

It was Charlie's turn to roll his eyes. "She wants us all closer but she refuses to come back here. I guess she's afraid Phil will like it too much, huh." He'd never gotten over their divorce, even if they had ended it on amicable terms.

Bella smiled. "You two were better off as friends you know." She told him. "I remember the fighting. So does Uncle Billy for that matter." She snickered.

"To hear him talk, I'm an abused spouse in that relationship. The man is my best friend, but he loves riling his baby sister up too much. And yes, I know. We're better off as friends. I still miss her though. Don't get me wrong, I love Hailey- couldn't picture a life without her- but you never forget your first love." He offered. It was also a hidden message to her. He knew she still missed Edward.

"You don't have to explain it dad, I know. And.. As bad as it sounds, I don't know if I'll ever forget Edward. I still hate him right now though." She sighed.

Charlie tutted and pulled onto the highway. "There's a long line of men who want to talk to that boy. I hope you know that. I've had no less than all six of your boys tell me they're after his head if they see him anytime soon." He grinned.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Dad, please, they're not **my **boys. They're friends. I can claim Jake and Paul as family. The rest are just good friends."

"Tell that to Sam, Embry, Quil and Seth. They've all told me they're more than happy to have a sit down talk with your ex. Even Collin and Brady want to talk to him. And when they're all together, things get interesting. I never knew there that many ways to feed a body through a meat grinder." He teased.

"Dad… that's kind of gross." She said watching him from the corner of her eye.

Charlie shrugged. "Your boys. **You** talk to 'em." He grinned.

She sighed. He'd done this to her since she started middle school. Bella only had one female friend at the time and that had been Leah Clearwater. The rest were boys and while it worried Charlie to no end, he never passed up an opportunity to tease her mercilessly about it.

The rest of the ride was met in companionable silence as the radio played in the background. Before she knew it, Bella was shaken awake and told they had made it to her uncles house. She grinned and pulled her carry-on bag from the back seat. The rest of her luggage was left in her dad's trunk to be transferred to her car later on when he took her to his house where she'd get to say hello to her step mom, Hailey.

She snickered at the sight that greeted her after walking through the front door. "Well, well, well. Aren't you three just the laziest things I've ever seen. It's a wonder you're passing your classes with such good grades." She scolded with a playful smirk.

Jacob, Embry and Quil all turned their heads at the same time. Bella watched in amusement as identical grins spread across their faces. They jumped up from the couch as one and rushed to her.

"**Bella**!" They all shouted before she was engulfed in the arms of three of her best friends.

She giggled and hugged them back. "Hey boys."

"Not boys anymore, Bells. We're grown- remember?" Embry teased.

"You sure? You're looking kind of weak Em." She teased back while giving his arm a playful punch.

"She's got you pegged Embry." Quil crowed.

Bella smirked. "Don't you mean your girlfriend has YOU pegged Quil." She snickered when he stared open mouthed at the audacity that she would ever insinuate something like that.

Jacob shook his head. "Wow… just wow. Being in Florida was good for you Bells. You're starting to shine again." He commented.

She grinned. "Aww thanks Jakey." She blew a kiss at him before running over to hide behind Billy. It was so easy to pretend everything was fine around her family. It wasn't until she was alone that it was hard.

Billy and Charlie laughed and shook their heads. "They'll never grow up, will they?" Billy muttered.

Bella leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I love you too Uncle Billy." She grinned.

"Yes, well… we'll have to have a long talk tomorrow. I want to hear how that man has been treating my baby sister." He told her.

Bella snickered. "That **man **has been married to your baby sister for at **least **ten years now and he treats her like a queen. You didn't give dad such a hard time, why do you have to do it to Phil, uncle Billy?" She teased.

"Because your dad got _abused _if he toed the line. I know nothing about the man who took my baby sister from the rez." He sniffed.

Charlie huffed. "I was not abused by your baby sister, old man!"

Jacob, Quil, Embry and Bella rolled their eyes. "She's fine. You'll see her at Christmas. And she's bringing her **husband **with her." She soothed him.

"Right. Well…We'll talk later, ok? We have to go get Harry's house… I just wanted to see you first." Billy cleared his throat.

"You're not going to stay?" She wondered with an arched eyebrow.

"Uh… no… not tonight baby girl. The boys wanted to spend some time with you and we have some… things to do…take care of… um… we'll talk soon though. Tomorrow even… Bye." Charlie said before wheeling Billy from the house in a hurry.

She shook her head and shared at the screen door in brief confusion. "Our parents are so _weird_." Bella mused.

Jacob only smirked. "You know they're only rushing off to Harry's because he got a brand new big screen TV. Sue is up at the Makah reservation visiting family so they have free reign tonight."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I've come in second place with my dad and uncle to a baseball game on a big screen TV." She sighed.

"Nah, Bells. You still have us!" Embry grinned.

"Yippee." She dead panned. She fought the twitch in her lip to keep the smile from breaking free.

Jacob grinned and decided to change the subject. "So… Bella… Edward left you…" He said putting an arm around her shoulders. He started to guide her to the couch while she was still distracted.

"Broke your heart…" Embry's grin was feral as he nodded.

"And now, we get to kick his ass, right?" Quil's grin mimicked those of his two best friends.

Bella only rolled her eyes. "Oh lord, you three, grow the hell up, would you? I _swear_, you're worse than Seth, Collin and Brady. I did my crying over him while I was with my mom. I'm here to relax before I go back home and finish out the school year."

"Man, I would have loved to have a teacher like you! Bet you've got all the lil brats giving you flowers and gifts, huh Bells." Quil grinned.

Bella shook her head. "Oh yes… because second graders think the way a 24 year old man would. Then again, I guess you're still mentally around nine or ten, huh Quil." She teased.

"**Hey**!" Quil pouted while Jacob and Embry erupted with laughter.

A throat clearing in the doorway caused the laughter to die down somewhat. "And just what is so funny?"

"**Paulie**! **Sammy**!" Bella squealed. She jumped up from the couch and rushed over to them giving each one a huge hug.

Paul grinned and lifted his sister off of her feet. "Hey chicka. we missed you around here." It was hard to tell they were just step siblings. They had been a family since they were both just six years old.

Twenty years was a long time to not think of someone as true family for Bella. It had only taken her a year to call Paul's mom, mom. From then on, Paul called Bella his sister. Any time they introduced one another to a new friend, it was as a brother or sister, never a step sibling.

"Guys, you two could come see me anytime you want. Your shop is **only **a few blocks away from my apartment building." She chided.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, but it's not the same. You're here… back home. Come on now. You know you're missed around here."

"Yeah, Bella you could have come back to teach on the rez!" Embry grizzled only being somewhat serious.

Bella rolled her eyes and looked to her cousin. "What about you Jakey? You think I should have stayed here too?"

Jacob shrugged. "I mean, yeah, it'd be cool to see you more. But you're happy where you are. I'm not gonna begrudge you that." He grinned at her.

Bella simply smiled. This was why she loved the men in her family. They may not agree with everything she did, but they still supported her no matter what. Paul huffed. Bella could tell he tried to hide his smile and she giggled and poked him in the ribs causing him to jump away from her. There were only certain places on his body he was ticklish, and she knew all of them.

"Just so you know, the guys and I talked about it. If we ever see Edward near you again, we'll more than likely be in jail for a long time for murder. That thing doesn't deserve you." Paul muttered as he hugged her to him again.

"Never **did **deserve you." Sam added.

Bella giggled. "Come on now… you guys must have liked something about him. You all didn't say anything when we first started dating in college." She mused. "None of you did for that matter." She huffed.

"Bells… you were _22_. What did you want us to say?" Sam grinned.

She shrugged. "So where are Seth, Collin and Brady?" She asked, changing the subject. Sam only chuckled. She did that any time she didn't want to ruin the good mood in a room with talk of something unpleasant.

Jacob snorted. "They're working."

"Seth is a bouncer over at Clarkes. Collin and Brady are bartenders there too." Embry told her when he saw her confused frown.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "You guys feel like going out tonight?" She grinned.

"Always. Man, Bella. It's good to have you back." Jacob laughed.

"You guys know you can always come see me too." She huffed while trying to hide her grin.

Quil laughed. "Where's the fun in that? We'd never get to harass you when you **do **come home! Besides, we get to have more fun this way… you come home, we go out places… we're not so bored…right?"

"Oh Quil. You have so much to learn." She teased. "Give me ten minutes to change and I'll be ready to go."

An hour later saw Bella laughing and playing pool with her friends and family. Even Brady and Collin took their breaks with her in order to talk. She promised them she'd visit more if she could and laughed when they nodded their heads and warned her to '_see that she did or else_.'

Her heart may have still been broken, but her family had rallied around her and together, with the help of her friends, she started to realize that she was stronger than Edward thought she was. She would get through it and come out stronger on the other side.


	2. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

Bella is NOT the same meek little klutz in this that she is in the books. Yes, she's upset after her break up with Edward. No she is NOT going to wallow. She has a job and she teaches kids… lets face it… kids don't let you stay sad. Their too funny for that.

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Chapter 1

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(March/April)

Spring Break had passed in the blink of an eye for Bella, or so it seemed. She sighed and shut the car engine off before making her way into the main office of her apartment building. She needed to let the receptionist know she was back and pick up any papers she had waiting- as per the agreement she had signed when she first moved into the building. She arched an eyebrow when she noticed an older woman sitting behind the desk.

"Hello. Are you here to look for an apartment?" The woman asked with a kind smile.

"Oh, no… um, I live in apartment 4D. My name is Bella Swan. My roommate was supposed to leave her key here. She moved out this past weekend and I was on vacation. I also wanted to see if I needed to pay anything else before I went upstairs. I got the electric bill all paid before I left." She said with a small smile.

A few minutes of tapping on the keyboard in front of her and the receptionist gave her attention back to Bella again. "Nope, it looks like you're all set until the end of this month when the rent is due. Can I help you with anything else?" She asked handing over the spare apartment key.

"Um… not to be rude, but what happened with Samantha?" Bella's curiosity got the best of her.

"I'm sorry dear, she had to move home. Her mother took ill and she left to be closer. From what I was told, it's looking bad for the woman. The poor dear left just last week. I'm her replacement so from now on you'll be seeing me." The woman said with a smile.

"Oh. That's bad luck for Samantha. Well, thanks." Bella said with a small wave. She left the office and got back in her car before driving towards the back of the building to park. She made her way inside and took the stairs up to the fourth floor. She hated using the elevator. She had gotten stuck in it twice and took to the stairs after that.

"Hey! Hey, wait! 4D, wait!" A masculine voice said from close behind her.

Bella turned to stare as a tanned, brown haired god of a man started walking towards her. She blinked in confusion when he stood before her wondering where she'd seen his face. It was the strangest feeling- like she knew him from somewhere.

"C-Can I help you with something…?" Images of just what she could help him with flashed in her mind before she had a chance to stop them. She ended them, filing them away for later and turned her attention back to him.

"Hi uh… I think I have some of your mail. I guess the mail carrier doesn't pay close attention. Your roommate said you'd be back today… so I could give it to you when I saw you." He said running his hand over the back of his tattooed neck. His left eyebrow was pierced and when he moved to wet his lips, Bella noticed his tongue was pierced as well.

She took in the rest of his features- his brown hair, his green eyes, the lip piercing in the left corner of his bottom, kissable, plump lip, as well as the tattoos on his arms and the one of a barbed wire band on his right thumb. She smiled.

"Thanks. I'll have to make sure to ask her to pay closer attention to detail. I think she may be somewhat flaky. I'll also talk to the receptionist and see if she can ask her to maybe be more mindful. I just got through meeting her… she's definitely not Samantha, am I right?"

"Um… who? Sorry, I just moved in a few days ago." He told her with an impish grin.

Bella chuckled. "Samantha was the receptionist before the one in the office now. She was here up until a week ago I guess. That woman was a saint! I've yet to pass judgment on the new receptionists skills though.." She offered with a light shrug.

"Cool, so… it's a decent place then?" He wondered.

He took in her appearance- heeled black leather boots, form fitting blue jeans, baby blue sweater top that showed off her curves in a classy yet casual way, braided auburn hair and finally her soulful chocolate brown eyes. He nearly missed what she had said as he appraised her form.

"It's quiet around here, yeah. Unless there's a holiday or something, the people are great too. I've been here off and on for about four years now, so I can kind of vouch for it." She added.

He laughed at that. "Well that's better than I could hope for I guess. My last place in Seattle was a mess. I moved here to be closer to work and friends."

Bella smiled. She huffed when she heard her phone start ringing. "That's me. Uh... thanks... for the mail." She said waving at him.

"Cool… um… I'll see you around I guess." He grinned.

"Sure… see you." She said closing the door when he turned to leave. She never noticed him turn around to tell her his name before the door closed. He merely shrugged and headed back to his apartment hoping he'd run into her again.

Bella rushed to the phone just in time for the answering machine to start recording. She rolled her eyes when she heard her best friend- Leah Clearwater- on the other end. Bella smiled when she heard Leah threaten bodily harm if Bella didn't call her back. She'd end up as her sister in law one day- if Paul had any say in it. He and Leah had been dating since they were 18. Bella could only sigh and pick up her phone.

"_It's about time you called me back! When did you get home?! Your roomie said you were supposed to be home an hour and half ago! I tried your cell phone but it's going straight to voice mail which tells me it's either turned off or dead_."

"It died on the way home from the rez. I just walked in my door. I would have been in as soon as I heard you call, but… I got distracted." Bella said biting her bottom lip.

"_By what_?!" Leah huffed.

"The new neighbor. He had some of my mail mixed up with his. Leah… he's **gorgeous**!" Bella swooned.

Leah laughed. "_Isabella Marie Swan! Listen to you! You only __**just **__broke up with the coppertop jackass!_" She pretended to be horrified. The act was lost when she started laughing.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up you bitch. You know damn good and well that I'm not ready to move right into another relationship. I AM however, allowed to look. And from what I see… I like… a lot."

"_So does he have a name or is he 'the neighbor' now?" _Leah teased.

Bella rolled her eyes again. "No, I'll call him 4B until I learn his name, if it's all the same to you!" She sniffed primly.

Their banter went back and forth until Leah told her that her break was over and she had to go. Being an accountant and business manager was hard work or so Leah griped. Bella countered her complaint with the fact that Leah was able to take as many breaks as she wanted and was able to goof off on the phone so long as she got her work done. Being a teacher left her little to no time to socialize for nearly eight hours straight- unless it was in the teachers lounge in the morning or for their lunch break.

That got Leah off the phone. She hated to hear about the 'little brats' that Bella had in her classroom. Leah wanted kids- one day. She wanted to see her business take off and able to stand alone before she'd have them though, and Paul was the same way. He had a fledgling business now with his best friend Sam and Sam's good friend Jared. They both had the sense to know that it just wasn't the right time. Bella lived through her kids' parents and nurtured the minds of a class of 18 second grade students until the school year was out for summer.

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Bella jolted awake panting and rested her hand on her forehead as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She inhaled, allowing herself to calm down after realizing she was still in her bed. She had woken from yet another dream of tall, dark, handsome and completely doable- none other than 4B himself- as she had taken to calling her god of a neighbor. She had still not bothered to learn his name and he had been in the building for three weeks now. Three weeks and ever since their first meeting, she'd been dreaming of doing every sinful, pleasurable thing known to man to and **with **her neighbor. '_Talk about frustrating_,' she mused as she fell back against her mattress with a flop.

She looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand and moaned in frustration. The bright blue numbers told her it was **only **four in the morning. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Over a month had passed since she'd ended her relationship with Edward; Over a month of her not getting laid. There was only so much her various toys could take before she broke down and told Leah and Emily she would have a one night stand with the first decent looking man to catch her eye in the bar they went to every Friday night.

She looked back at the clock. 4:05. **Ugh**, it would be one of **those **days. She thanked the spirits above that it was a Saturday. Since she couldn't go back to sleep, Bella got up, was dressed, had her bed made and a load of laundry in the basket ready to go once the laundry room was opened at 8 AM. She was in her small kitchen cooking a meager breakfast of eggs and hash browns when she heard a door open and then close a few minutes later.

Looking at the clock on the stove she noticed it neared six in the morning. She wondered which of her neighbors she knew who would be up at six am on a Saturday. It was blasphemy in her opinion. She looked through her peep hole and gasped. There before her eyes in the hallway- sans shirt- was none other than Mr. 4B himself, wearing low slung track pants and a pair of running shoes on his feet. His back was covered in various tattoos: dragons, crosses, half naked women, various animals- wolves mostly- she even saw a skeleton or two. When he turned to make his way to the elevator she nearly died. His left nipple had been pierced- something she secretly found attractive on men. She was more turned on now than she had been before she'd gone to sleep.

Bella stood at her door panting by the time he disappeared into the elevator. It took all the will power she possessed to not race down the hall to the bedroom and pull out every toy she possessed. She had quite a few hidden away no thanks to Leah and Emily giving her gag gifts for her birthdays and at Christmas time.

It wasn't going to be a fun day for her, she knew that. Her libido had jumped into overdrive as her sexual frustration grew higher and higher with images of her god-like neighbor ran rampant in her mind. With another sigh, she plopped down on her couch and turned the TV on, intent to find a movie that would take her mind off of her fuck hot neighbor.

By the time 8 am rolled around, Bella took to the stairs making her way down with a laundry bag slung over her shoulder. She never noticed that the star of all her recent wet dreams himself had had the same idea as she did. He made his way off the elevator at the same time she reached the bottom floor of the stairs without drawing her attention. They arrived in the laundry room at the same time, nearly bumping into one another.

"Oh, hey, it's you." He teased.

"It's me." She echoed with a half smile.

Lack of sleep coupled with her neighbor in such close proximity left her oxygen deprived brain without much to say.

He shook his head in amusement giving her a charming and rather boyish grin. "You're not a morning person are you?"

Bella smiled and turned her head to avoid him seeing the blush that now started to color her face. "I didn't sleep well last night. Coffee keeps me sane. That's about all I can say." She joked. "Besides, aren't most people meant to sleep IN on weekends?"

His laughter filled the room. "I'll give you that. You know, it's kind of refreshing to hear someone with a sense of humor. That's saying something considering I work with a few of my best friends all day long."

Bella arched an eyebrow. "Your friends don't have a sense of humor?" She teased.

"No, it's not that. I work in a tattoo shop.. So I get to meet all kinds of people. But… a lot of them don't want to joke too much when I'm prodding at them with needles for hours at a time sometimes." He chuckled.

"Well that explains it then." Bella mused with a small smirk on her lips.

"Explains what?" He wondered. his frown was more curious than upset.

"Your thumb… and the sleeve…. The pieces on your back too." Bella grinned. "My brother is covered in tattoos. Nearly gave his mom a heart attack when she saw him at Christmas time." She snickered at the memory of Hailey sighing in defeat.

"Is that why you have that tat on your wrist?" He wondered.

Bella shook her head looking to the tribal band around her wrist. "No… it covers a nasty scar I got from a car accident when I was in high school. I got this done when I was 16."

"Damn, sorry. I would have never guessed. I didn't mean to pry. I guessed he did it for you."

She shrugged. "I just got tired of people asking me all the time if I was suicidal. No one asks anymore because they can't see the scar."

"I can see how that would be an aggravation and a reason to get it covered." He mused. "Why the tribal band?"

Bella grinned. "I've always loved tribal tattoos. I don't know why, but some of them are just so… sexy." She mused. She turned her attention to her watch and missed the shiver that raced down his back. He liked how she had eyed the few tribal pieces she could see on his arms as she confessed her attraction to the tattoos.

The buzzing of washers pulled them from their jovial bubble causing them to both jump. They loaded their clothes into the dryers before sitting down at the provided table to wait again. Bella hummed and pulled a book from her bag. She caught his surprise when she opened it to a clean page.

"You draw?" He wondered, his excitement too great to hide from her.

She blushed. "I'm alright. My brother is ten times better."

He wondered if she'd let him see how she saw the world. "May I? I like seeing how other artists see things around them."

She handed her book to him and offered him a one shouldered shrug and a shy smile. Each piece was looked over with the critical eye of an artist. His thoughts were on Paul and Sam and how they would love some of her work for the shop. He was stunned.

The detail was unique in of itself- something completely hers alone. It seemed she had no preference and just drew whatever caught her fancy: still life, people, animals- though how she got them to sit still was a mystery- and even some fantasy work. He thought the fairy she drew, dated last week, would look awesome as a tattoo and told her as much.

"I can't believe your not drawing as a profession." He told her when the book was handed back to her.

"No… I work with kids for a living. This is to help me relax." She teased.

"Wow, I don't think I'd have the patience. Working with the public is bad enough sometimes… people can be… amazing pricks I guess would be the right thing to say. But I don't have the patience for minors… well strangers kids at least." He shivered.

Bella laughed. "Kids aren't that bad. There can be a few bad ones to the bunch, but I love what I do." She told him.

It was official. Mr. 4B himself started growing on her. The time it took waiting for her clothes to dry was spent laughing, joking and drawing. He used her book to draw a pair of dragons intertwined in flight and she pulled a page from her book to draw him a sprite gazing into the water. The hour that passed had her convinced that she wanted to get to know more and more about her devilishly handsome neighbor.

"Hey, so… why don't you ever use the elevator?" He asked when they got ready to leave. "I mean… any time I see you, it's just… you never use it. And I guess it had me curious." He muttered.

Bella grinned. "I got stuck in it twice the first year I moved here. I've been using the stairs ever since then. Even if they say its fixed, I don't like closed in spaces. Too many memories of times my brother or my cousin would try to lock me in my front hallway closet when I was a kid… so I use the stairs. Besides, it keeps me fit." She said teasingly patting at her toned belly.

"Do you mind if I join you then?" He wondered. "I mean, after all, those stairs might move on you, and then you'd trip and no one would come rescue you for some time." He joked, offering her a boyish grin.

Bella found herself laughing with him, a blush forming on her cheeks. He'd seen some of her old Harry Potter drawings that she had fiddled around with when she'd watched her neighbors kids. She didn't know whether to be upset or happy that he teased her about it. "I'd enjoy the company. I'll admit that much." She grinned.

"Cool." He said before grabbing his laundry basket.

"Well, this is me." Bella grinned coming to a stop in front of her door.

He nodded and grinned down at her. "Maybe I'll run into you again sometime soon."

Bella bit her lip and nodded, a blush forming on her cheeks. "Sure. I work from 7-3 during the week, but… my weekends are usually free. I run sometimes when the weather is decent outside… otherwise I go to the gym."

He grinned. "I run every morning regardless of the rain. If you ever want someone to go with you, just say something and I'll wait for you at the stairs." He promised.

Bella grinned and waved him off before falling against her door after she'd closed it. Things had started looking up for her. She took a moment to steady her nerves before placing her laundry back into its proper place. With a giddy smile she flopped back on her bed, her phone in hand, before calling one of two people she could always rely on to listen to her.

"Hey, Leah…you busy? Okay… is Emily there? Awesome put it on speaker… You'll never **guess **who I ran into today…"

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Bella sighed and shifted her bag higher up on her shoulder. She was thankful the day was finally over for the day. Her class had been frustrating today- to say the least. Taking away recess from some of her students just wasn't enough sometimes; she'd had to send three of them to the office for fighting on the playground. She sighed again and tried to remember if the little boys had ever started fights when SHE was in second grade. She thought they must have and shrugged the thought from her head.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice the silver Volvo parked next to her 2012, candy apple red, 4x4 Jeep Liberty. If she had, she would have run back into the school and called either her brother or Sam. There was only so much she would take after an already trying day. Seeing her ex boyfriend- the man who had held her heart in his hands before it was crushed- was **not **one of them.

"Hello Isabella. You look well. I'm surprised." Edward said with a crooked grin that, at one time, had put a giddy smile on Bella's face.

Bella stopped dead in her tracks. Her head shot up and her eyes widened in realization. "Edward, what are... **why** are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you've been. I missed you." Edward smiled at her in what he thought would be a charming and sincere manner. "How's the teaching job working out for you?" He asked.

Bella scoffed. "Like you care. Edward, go home. Let me be and don't try to talk to me anymore. I don't want to see or hear from you. I told you when you climbed into bed with your dad's partner... we're finished."

"It's like that now, is it? I gave you everything and you just move on and walk away without looking back?" He sneered, forgetting for a moment that he'd come to charm her back into his life.

"_You_ left **me**, **not** the other way around, Edward. You were the one to walk away. You were the one to call our relationship quits. You left me when you brought another woman into our bed. Don't try to play it like it was my fault. I'm happy now. So please, for the love of _everything_ holy in this world, just stay away from me." Bella hissed before getting into her car.

Edward watched her go with a frown on his lips. Getting her back would be harder than he originally thought. His father had made it quite clear: unless he had someone _respectable_ on his arm and in his life, he would be cut off from his inheritance. His mother had sided with him. Neither of them liked his current girlfriend, Victoria, and Esme had even asked him why he couldn't find another woman like Isabella. She had been respectable in their eyes- always polite, soft spoken, well mannered and charming.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the limp dick himself!" A voice sounded from behind him.

Edward knew that voice anywhere. He sighed. "Hello Paul. Fancy seeing you here." He turned to face him with an arched eyebrow.

He was surprised to see Sam with him as well. He eyed the two, not for the first time wondering just how many steroids the two secretly used to make them appear so toned and fit. He never did believe the muscle they sported was natural and had been earned from hours spent lifting weights.

Edward sighed and shook his head again- today could not get any worse could it? Bella's brother had always hated him- ever since he'd been caught cheating on Bella two years into their relationship. He'd been leery of the two then because of their boxing and martial arts classes, now, he felt sure they'd rip him apart and not bat an eyelid.

Paul clicked his tongue. "Yeah, well, its not every day I get a call from my baby sister in _tears_ because some asshat tried yanking her chain wanting to play some pathetic, love sick, reject. **Then** I come here to find out said pathetic, asshat, love sick reject is you. After _everything_ you did to her, you think you can just waltz back into her life telling her _'I missed you' _and it'll be alright? I should pound you into the concrete now you dickless wonder!"

"Easy Paul. We came to talk. Remember?" Sam said, his tone soft and soothing. His eyes were cold and hard as he raised them to look at Edward, however, cutting off any form of thanks he would have received.

"Yeah, well I'm done talking." Paul growled. "I'm telling you now, you either leave Bella the hell alone or you're going to answer to me, fucktard. Got me?" Paul warned. He spat on the ground at Edward's feet for good measure before making his way to his haphazardly parked car.

If there were two people Edward was leery of angering, it would be Paul and Sam. They both had more muscles on their persons than Edward could ever hope to have in the completion of his lifetime and both of them had a score to settle when it came to him- they knew the truth for the break up between him and Bella.

He watched them both closely before he relaxed his stance, trying to make himself look as non threatening as possible. There was still anger in their eyes as they watched him. He merely nodded and watched them walk away. Somehow he knew this would be a lot harder than he originally thought.


	3. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

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(May)

Bella sighed and took another sip of her Caramel frappuccino coffee. Another week had passed by with four more sightings of Edward. She'd been trying to relieve some stress by grading papers outside of the Starbucks coffee shop she visited every weekend.

She'd run into Mr. 4B himself earlier and grinned when he'd teased her about her shoulder bag overflowing with papers. When she told him it had to do with work he smiled in sympathy and walked with her down the four flights of steps and out the door. It had become their thing- meet up in the morning on the weekends and head out to start the day together.

She sighed again and started grading papers- marking off for miss spelled words on spelling tests or wrong answers given on math tests. It was still early, not quite ten in the morning, and she was one of only four patrons to the family owned bistro she loved to visit. It was what she loved about living in Port Angelas sometimes. While it had its busy moments, for the most part, weekends got spent being lazy in the little town. Her phone beeping in her purse broke the quiet and alerted her to a new text. She sighed as she wondered who would dare to try and contact her so early.

'_You'll never guess who was just in the shop!' _

Bella rolled her eyes. Emily loved drama. It could be counted on for the woman to have at least two angst driven breakdowns a month.

'_Who?' _

'_Someone has some explaining to do!' _

Bella cringed. Leah was in on it too. She sighed and wondered not for the first time where her patience came from when it came to dealing with her two best friends.

'_Who was it?!' _She sent the text to both of them and waited for one of them to respond while she went back to grading math tests.

'_When's the last time you talked to Rosie?' _

Leah's text had Bella frowning in thought. It had been at least two years since she had **seen **her friend. But it had only been about a month since they had last talked. Rosalie Hale worked as a personal assistant to some CEO of some company- Bella could never remember the name of it. She'd done well for herself, having been with the office since she was 18 years old. Seven years of loyalty had finally paid off when she found out the old personal assistant had stolen money from the company. After a week, she'd become the new personal assistant and from what Bella could gather, Rosalie couldn't be happier.

'_About a month… why… is she o.k.?' _Now Bella started to worry as she sent a reply.

'_Rosalie is engaged to her long time boyfriend! She came to US for her wedding planning and cake!'_

Bella let loose a small giddy squeal as she read the text. She laughed when she got a new text from Leah to tell her that she was a hooker (in Rosalie's words) for not giving Rosalie her new number when she had switched carriers. Bella shook her head and resolved that she would have to see Rosalie before she got too busy with the wedding.

The distraction from her friends had come at just the right time. It was what she needed to give her tired brain a break from grading papers. With a final text to tell them she would be coming by sometime in the near future, she let out a long sigh and focused back on the stack of papers in front of her. Now that she was done with the math tests, she went to work minimizing the large stack of spelling and comprehension tests for her second grade class.

Some of her students were well above the second grade reading level- like the fair haired blonde named Michelle. Then there were some- like the little brown haired, doe eyed Bethany- who were far below it. She grimaced when she started checking the tests for the week. She dreaded seeing some of them. Her red pen would be running out of ink, of that she was certain.

The empty chair at her table scooting out drew her attention from the papers she'd been grading. She was ready to let who ever had sat down know rude it was to sit uninvited when she looked up and gasped. Her neighbor- the man she secretly fantasized about at night- now sat across from her, drenched in sweat from his run, with his tee shirt hanging about his neck.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. And please don't think me too forward or rude, but I saw you and had to come say hi. You look like you could use a distraction. So… hi." He said with his typical boyish grin.

Bella couldn't help but smile. "Hi. Have a good run?" She asked.

He shrugged and took a small sip of the coffee in his hands. The large chocolate muffin was picked at as he watched her. "It was alright." He paused to take a small bite of the delicious heart attack waiting to happen and grinned.

"You know… I debated putting a hand over your eyes but thought better of it. You told me you have an older brother and I'm betting he taught you to fight, huh." He grinned.

Bella snorted. "Yeah… he did. It backfired on him a fair few times too." She said with a smug grin.

"Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes? If you don't want me here I'll go." He moved to stand before she shook her head.

She smiled. "Oh, you don't have to go. Please, join me. You're right, I could use the distraction."

He grinned. "So… what's got you all…sad… no… angry… upset I guess is the right word?"

Bella laughed. "I guess I could be upset- but more with myself. I'm just grading papers. Some of my kids just don't get spelling, grammar or reading comprehension as well as they should and it's a pain to see."

"Wow… you said you worked with kids… I had no idea…I guess I thought you meant you worked in a day care or something." He was impressed.

Bella laughed and shook her head. "No, I teach second grade. I love my class, but sometimes I want to strangle them when they misbehave. And seeing these answers… well… I feel like a failure sometimes. But they'll get it."

Jared nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "That's kind of cool. I like it when I see teachers that give a rats ass. So many of them don't. I think a lot of kids would turn out different if more teachers did care." He told her.

She grinned. "That's one of the reasons I started teaching. A few of my teachers encouraged me a great deal. And I love kids."

"So… I had a weird thought just now... wanna hear it?" He asked after it had been quiet for a few minutes.

Bella looked up with amusement shining in her eyes- his unexpected visit had been just the distraction she'd needed. "What's that?" She asked.

"We've seen one another here and there for the better part of a month now… and I still don't know your name. I know that you like to use the stairs in the apartment building, that you go running for an hour longer than normal when you're stressed out, and now, I know you're a teacher… but I still don't know your name."

Bella giggled. "You mean you don't look at the names on the letters sent to your mail box?" She teased. His eyes widened in shock making her giggle again. "Thought so. So I guess it's **me **who doesn't know **your **name, Mr. 4B."

He laughed. "_Mr. 4B _huh?"

Bella snickered. "Well what else am I supposed to call you? I don't know your name yet." She teased.

Jared grinned at her. "Ok… you caught me out… sorry. I kind of hoped you'd forgotten about how we met. So… can we start fresh?"

"Sounds like a plan." She mused. "I'm Bella… you're neighbor in 4D and occasional running partner." She said holding out her hand to him.

"I'm Jared. You're neighbor in 4B. It's a pleasure to meet you." He teased while shaking her hand.

Bella laughed and shook her head. Now she had a name to go with the fantasy at night. "Charmed, I'm sure." She all but purred.

Bella's phone sounded as she got another text from Leah. It read simply S.O.S. She chuckled and shook her head. Jared watched in amusement as she laughed. "Talking to a boyfriend are we? I can see I have my work cut out for me now don't I?" He teased.

"What? Oh! No… nothing like that. No… I'm single… that's a message from a friend. When she has a bad experience with a customer, she sends me an S.O.S. It basically means, '_Skank on Site_.' That's my cue to go in and play the supportive best friend." She explained.

Jared chuckled. "I'm sure she enjoys having someone like you come to the rescue." He teased.

"It's nothing special. She's one of my best friends. I'd do near anything to help her out if I could." Bella said with her cheeks flushed.

"My friend has a sister like that. He talks about her nonstop. He's all protective of her right now.. Some jerk has been bugging her I guess. I keep telling him to back off and she can hold her own- from what he tells me at least- but even my other friend who knows her tells me what a douche the guy was. It must be cool to have friends who would drop everything for you." He sighed.

"Bad experiences?" She pushed.

They'd talked on their runs together- few as those were, and more times than not they did laundry at the same time, but he usually didn't open up too much- she had to catch him at just the right time. She knew that he was a tattoo artist and his two best friends were as close as brothers to him. She also knew he was single like she was because his last girlfriend had been careless with his heart.

"You could say that. I moved from Seattle to be closer to family. My parents divorced when I was little and my mom took me with her when she moved to be closer to her job. She moved back around here a couple years ago. Growing up in a city gave me a thick skin… but nothing prepares you for your best friend stealing your fiancée." He said with a sad smile and a one shouldered shrug.

Bella gasped. "Oh Jared! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry!" She took his large hand in hers and squeezed it, feeling guilty.

He laughed. "No, it's alright. I guess I'm just envious of your friends. I'd be lucky to have a friend like you."

"You know… there's nothing to say that I couldn't be your friend. I mean… we already sort of hang out when we run or when we do laundry. It wouldn't be that far off the mark would it?" She asked.

Jared grinned. "You know, I kind of like that idea. Yeah… I can work with friends. " He said with a playful smile.

"Oh my goodness! Isabella?! Is that _you_?" A voice asked from beside them cutting off her response.

Panic flared in Bella's eyes as she met the curious, somewhat accusatory eyes of her ex boyfriend's sister. Alice Cullen had stopped talking to her the week after Edward had broken up with her- as had his parents, Carlisle and Esme. Jared noticed the look in her eyes and resolved to stay until he was asked to leave. This didn't look good.

"Alice… what brings you here?" Bella prayed her voice didn't squeak near as much as she thought it did.

Alice gave her a sickeningly sweet and, all together, fake smile. It didn't even begin to reach her eyes. "I'm in town visiting family. My cousin's getting married soon and I'm here to help his fiancée shop for the wedding. She has next to **no** fashion sense at **all**."

Bella nodded. "Well, I guess I should say congratulations. I'm sure your family is happy with the match."

Alice rolled her eyes. "She'll do." She shrugged. "She's… she reminds me of you." She mused.

Jared's eyes narrowed. That had been a veiled insult. Even Bella knew it judging by her tensed posture and rigid shoulders. He sat up straighter when she turned her eyes on him. "And who's _this_ then? I hadn't heard you started dating again."

Bella shook her head. "No… we're friends. Alice, this is my friend and neighbor, Jared. Jared, this is Alice. She's my ex boyfriends sister."

He nodded his head in way of greeting, ignoring the offered hand. That explained why hostilities were high. He bit back the sneer he wanted to give her when he watched her nose wrinkle in ill hidden disgust of his tattoos and piercing. "Hi." Was all he said.

Alice merely nodded her head and turned her attention back to Bella. "I hardly recognized you Bella. You never used to dress so… _casual_ when you dated my brother. What happened to the fashion sense you seemed to have back then?" She played it off with a teasing tone, but the words were no less cruel.

"You've even let your hair go… I could send you to the new stylist I use if you wanted. Caius could do your hair and your make up and it wouldn't cost you a thing. I'd take care of it all, of course." The quiet disdain in her voice for Bella's appearance was noticeable- even to Jared.

Bella sighed and shook her head. "This isn't that bad. It happens to be a day off for me. I'm grading papers for my class. I'm sure even _you_ can forgive me for not dressing up for that." She couldn't resist firing her own insults back at the girl she had, at one time, considered a sister. Jared smirked. The more he talked to her, the more drawn to her feisty attitude he became.

Alice shrugged. "You know if you were still with my brother you wouldn't have to work. Daddy is one of the most successful lawyers on this side of the Rocky Mountains. Edward has more than enough money to provide for you. I'm sure even your family could appreciate that. I remember them not liking that you wanted to go to school. Your mother always said she liked the thought of you marrying my brother one day. It'd be a smart match if I do say so myself."

"My mom didn't want me so far away from her while I went over my choices of colleges. But even she moved to Florida half way through my sophomore year. So, all in all, her argument was a moot point. My dad loves that I'm able to work and support myself. I love what I do. I love working with kids."

"If you say so. How about your brother? How's business going for him? Has it been that long since we last talked?" She feigned interest.

They both knew she wasn't interested.

Bella smiled. "He's got his own shop and finished with a college degree in graphic art and design. I'm proud of him for it as well. He's even added to his sleeves since you last saw him." She told her.

She had to hide her smirk when she saw Alice's nose wrinkle again. She hated tattoos or body piercings- other than earrings. She said they were un-lady like and tattoos or body piercings on men were just as tacky in her mind. Bella's opinion differed greatly.

Jared started to gather that Alice was a spoiled woman who had grown up in a family with money. He figured she'd been raised with a silver spoon in her mouth as soon as he saw her, but to hear her only confirmed what he thought of her. He also started to gather that Bella was a calm, level headed person who knew what it meant to go without and earn her way in life without living on the back of another person.

He admired her for that. He couldn't help but note the subtle ways she pressed the buttons of her ex's sister- talking about her brothers achievements as well as the additions to his sleeves had to be a huge slap in the face to the woman seeing as she apparently didn't like them.

"Why didn't you ever take him back. He was so upset when you left him. He told us that you hated his hours. I don't understand why you couldn't compromise. You two were _perfect_ for one another." Alice asked. She completely ignored the fact that there was a third party present and that Bella now showed classic signs of aggravation.

Bella smiled in apology to Jared. He returned it and pretended to fiddle with his phone. She stacked her papers in a neat pile with the un-graded tests on top before she slid the entire stack into her bag. Her pen was pushed into her pony tail as she leaned back in her seat to study the petite woman in front of her. Jared took that as a sign and tidied up his own mess as well, preparing to leave with her.

Bella stood, walked over to the trash bin and threw her used napkins in the garbage before returning to her table. She was no longer in any kind of mood to sit outside and enjoy the morning. Before she left she turned to Alice.

"For the record… things with Edward were far from as perfect as your family thought. I wanted to compromise for him. I wanted a life with him- not for his money but for _him_. I **did** love him at one time. I **didn't **love wondering why he stayed out so long when your father told me he left the office _early_ most every night to come home to me.

"I **didn't** love waking up at 3 in the morning for months to the sound of Edward, drunk and banging on the door of our apartment, complaining that he lost his keys… or the way he always smelled of another woman's perfume. I **didn't** love how he **cheated** on me for nearly _half a __**year**_with one of your fathers **partners** before he got caught… _by me_… _in our __**bed**__, _Alice. Until that day… I **did** love him. But I couldn't take it anymore and I _left_." There were unshed tears in her eyes when she took a breath to collect herself. She smiled when she felt Jared squeeze her shoulder in comfort, thankful for his quiet support.

Alice looked horrified. "I didn't… Bella, I didn't know. None of us knew. You just left… we didn't question him…he said you were the one to call it off… Bella, I'm so sorry…" Even Jared could see the horrible acting.

Bella shook her head and sighed in disappointment. "If you see me on the street again Alice, just walk the other way. I don't want anything more to do with you… or your parents… **or** your brother. So just… _please_… just please leave me alone." She stared at her for another minute before turning on her heel and leaving the patio area with Jared following behind her.

"You ok?" Jared asked when they were half way home.

"I think so… I'm sorry that you had to hear all that. I don't usually lose my temper that way. I also try not to air my dirty laundry like that in public either." She sighed.

Jared shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Believe me… my two friends I work with are about twenty times worse when it comes to a temper. And for the record… your ex boyfriend sounds like an ass." He told her with a small smile.

Bella giggled. "Thank you. I don't feel like going home and eating an entire tub of cookie dough ice cream now." She quipped.

"Women." He teased.

"Just you wait. I'll find a way to get you back for that comment Mr." She teased sticking her tongue out at him.

He snickered until he saw the tongue ring she had. "A tongue ring and a tattoo… my, my Bella, what will society say." He teased to cover his shock.

Bella smirked. "I know… I know… not your typical school teacher huh.."

Jared laughed and held the door open for her to enter first when they reached the apartment building. "Nope. I guess it's a good thing you teach second graders though, huh."

"And why is that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jared smirked. "Well, I know if _I_ was in high school and I had _you_ for a teacher, I wouldn't be able to keep my thoughts as _pure_ as a 7 or 8 year old." He'd just let her know he was interested in her without him saying it outright. He grinned when she blushed.

"Is that a compliment then?" She teased. She didn't even notice they stood right outside her apartment door.

"Uh huh. It is." He told her, stepping closer into her personal space.

Bella nibbled on her lower lip as she watched him come closer. She was somewhat disappointed when he kissed her cheek and stepped back. "I have to go get ready for work. I promised I'd go in today to help the guys train some new wannabe artist. I'll see you around Bella." He told her leaving her leaning against her door fighting to control her raging hormones.

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By the time Jared emerged from his apartment, Bella was nestled inside hers. He sighed and started down the stairs on his own. His thoughts were on his sexy -as- sin neighbor. Hearing what her douche of an ex boyfriend had done to her pulled at his heartstrings.

They shared similar stories in some ways… he'd loved his ex fiancée- Kimberly- with nearly everything he had. She'd then chosen to sleep with his best friend… Jared shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. Going down that road again would only make him angry before work. He'd gotten better- Sam and Paul had both seen to that. And now he had a new friendship with Bella to look forward to as well.

His engine was killed fifteen minutes later and he was headed inside to see Paul sitting at his station. A mother hovered in the corner which meant the girl on Paul's table was a minor. He **hated** piercing or inking minors. Walking past Paul, he noticed the girl on the table and blinked. How had he not recognized the woman's face before he walked past her?

"Jared!" She squealed and Paul's hands flew away from her body. Jared cringed and offered them a shy smile when Paul and Sam arched their eyebrows at him.

Josephine Conner… Kimberly Conner's baby sister. What were the odds that Bella ran into her ex's sister not an hour earlier and now here was HIS ex's sister on the table for Paul to ink her skin. Josephine's mother- Amberlie smiled in greeting. He nodded to her respectfully and turned to the girl on the table again.

"Hey Josephine. It's been a while." He ignored his friends looks and nodded to her mom. "Finally talk your mom into a tattoo?" He wanted to at least try to be friendly. The poor girl had been heartbroken- the same as her parents- to learn that he wasn't going to marry her big sister. She and her parents had been even more upset to learn what her sister had done to him.

"I did! She told me it's a reward for my grades! I heard you moved away… It's good to see you again Jared. I can't wait to tell my friends about this place! It's so cool!" Josephine grinned.

"We'd appreciate the business Jo. Thanks. You should calm down though, Paul's got steady hands, but he can't ink you if you're moving all over the bench like that. …Excuse me for a few. I have to set up my station." He said before scurrying to the back room. He sighed and rested his head on the door jam as soon as he was out of sight trying to clear his mind.

Footsteps behind him alerted him to his friends presence. "Hey… you alright bro?" Sam asked.

Jared shrugged. "That's Kim's baby sister. She'll have just turned 16 then. That means it's been about a year and a half since Kim and I broke off the engagement. Seeing her… and her mom… I moved away to forget the things that happened in Seattle. What the hell man, aren't there enough tattoo shops in the city?!"

"Oh damn. Dude, I'm sorry. I would have warned you if I had known." Sam told him. "Her mom said a co-worker of hers got inked in here a few months ago and told the kids mom about us. The guy got one of your tattoos if I remember right. The kid on the bench recognized the piece. Even if she did pick out one of Paul's cross and angel wing designs."

Jared laughed and shook his head. They all had a playful competition going with their designs and teased each other about it from time to time. "Just add it up to the already crappy day." He sighed.

"What do you mean? You had the entire morning off today! How could it have been crappy?" Sam teased.

"I saw my neighbor at Starbucks again. I mean, she was right there… and damn dude… she's… I don't know. It's just something about her. She's all shy one minute, the next she's feisty and playful. I went over and talked to her after my run. Her ex's sister saw us while we sat on the patio. They kind of got into it- chicks are vicious by the way. It sounds like my neighbors ex did a serious number on her." Jared sighed. "Damn cheating bastards." He muttered.

Sam shook his head. "I'll never understand how some guys can be such assholes and get all the girls and other guys have to try so damn hard to even turn heads else they be unhappily friend zoned right out of the gate." He said with a sigh as they worked together to get Jared's station ready.

"Yeah… tell me about it. She called my bluff right away though… so I owe you ten bucks." Jared smirked.

"Oh wow. Too bad I wasn't there to laugh." He teased.

Jared rolled his eyes. "Whatever dude. Let's just get to work. New kid will be here soon to show us what he's got."

The doorbell chimed overhead signaling the door opening before Paul joined them. "I **hate** inking minors. Little miss prim and proper would **not** sit still more that ten _minutes_ at a time. I swear I need to have my sister in here to give people a few lessons in the art of patience." He huffed. "That woman is a damn **saint** compared to some of these fuckers we see every day!"

Sam merely laughed, nodding his head in agreement with Paul. "Now, now. Not everyone is a saint like little B. Ok, well maybe Leah and Emily are…but… they're her best friends." Sam grinned.

Jared rolled his eyes. It never occurred to him to ask who '_little B' _was. He always thought Paul's sisters' name started with an 'I.' Mentally shrugging the random thoughts away, he turned to his friends with his arms crossed over his chest. "You know, I think I may just have to meet the women who stole your man cards." He teased.

A few playful shoves and teasing insults later, the hopeful applicant had arrived to show the three what he could do. After six clients, it was agreed that he would be added on as a part time artist to help them out on the weekends. Throughout his shift, and in between clients, Jared's mind wandered back to Bella- his neighbor to whom he could now put a name to the face.

He grinned when he thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be a woman he could start a new relationship with after taking the time to get to know her. There was definite chemistry, he just needed to show her that he would never use her the way her ex had. With his mind made up, the next few hours flew by and before he knew it, he was on his way home for a shower and bed.


	4. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

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(June)

Bella giggled from where she sat in her best friends' bakery- _The Way Home_. Leah and Emily told her in no uncertain terms that she didn't have an excuse to **not **have lunch with them today. It was her first day of summer vacation, and the three sat catching up on all that had happened in the last few months.

"I can't believe you're so content with teaching munchkins Bella. I mean, after all… Alice even said it… you would be so much happier being married to Edward." Leah's eye roll and obvious sarcasm sent the girls into a fit of giggles.

They enjoyed their lunch- a meal made by Emily before Bella had arrived- and Bella regaled them with the latest drama. Alice had yet again cornered Bella, this time outside of her gym with Jared once more by her side. She tried making Bella understand Edward felt sorry for what he'd done and she didn't want to see her brother miserable. She told her if she could find it in her heart to forgive the poor man, he'd make her one of the happiest women alive. Bella had told her in a polite tone to '_go to hell_' while Jared laughed and led her to his car.

"Come on now. I told you about that. Besides, I'd rather work for myself than have everyone wait on me hand and foot. It's just not right." Bella said with a shudder.

Emily nodded in agreement. "I see where you're coming from Bella. Your parents raised you better than that."

"Speaking of… have you gone to see your dad or Uncle Billy lately?" Leah asked.

"No, not since spring break. With the summer here, I'll have more time to go and visit though. Paul has been near hounding me to go and see them. And Sam… don't even get me started on that man!" Bella moaned.

Emily smirked. "You leave my man alone! Just because you're jealous of his good looks and skills doesn't mean you can pick on him."

"No, that's Leah! I've got my own eye candy! As far as skills, I've got plenty to occupy my time. Remember?" Bella teased.

"**Hey**! What is this?! _Cruel Intentions_? Sam is like a brother to me… it's just… **ugh**, that's so **wrong**. And you know, Emily and I have yet to meet your new walking fantasy!" Leah huffed.

" All we know is you think he's _fuck hot _and he lives in the same building as you… on the same floor two doors down… oh and that his name is Jared and you go out to coffee with him every weekend and more times than not you're at the gym with him at night during the week." Emily snickered.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, because I want _you two _there to mess it up for me… please. Besides, he's just a friend… one I happen to dream about every so often, but a friend none the less. And **damn **do I love to see him run with no shirt on…" Her eyes glazed over at the fresh thoughts of what she'd do to him if he were in her bed.

Leah's response got cut off by her phone. She jumped up and let loose a giddy squeal. "_Hey baby_."

Bella and Emily shared a look. "Paul." They said together.

"_Hey gorgeous. You busy_?"

"No, I'm on my break." Leah glared at her friends.

"_Having fun_?"

"Don't worry, just the usual... talking about you guys."

"_Uh oh. Sam they're gossiping about us_…" Paul smirked.

Sam laughed. "_Wonderful… we're innocent in all of what's said_!"

"It's nothing bad I promise. Bella is here today too." Leah giggled.

"_Huh. Well, we just closed for lunch. You mind if we come to see you? We're bringing Jay by too. He's been pestering us to introduce you to him_."

Leah laughed at that. "Yeah. We've closed for lunch too. Bella is out of the apartment by force. Emily nearly dragged her here by her hair."

Paul laughed. "_I can see her doing it too. Ok, we'll be there in about 5 minutes. Love you babe_."

"I'll see you then. Love you too handsome." She hung up and danced over to Bella and Emily. "So.. The guys want to come here for their break. Their friend Jay wants to meet us… most likely to see how whipped they are and make fun of them."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Well, then… that's my cue to leave huh. I'd rather not see you and my brother play tonsil hockey if I can help it." She teased. She completely avoided her friends remark.

Emily laughed. "Oh come **on **Bella. They're not that bad! Besides, you're avoiding… I find it… _intriguing_."

Bella shook her head. "No, you and Sam are only _marginally _worse than my brother and Leah. I'll leave, thank you. Just, call me tonight or something. Maybe we can go out before I head home this weekend for a drink at the bar. And I'm not avoiding… I'm just not as intrigued with men as you two are… Which shocks me because **I'm **the single one and _you two _are taken."

Leah rolled her own eyes. "Nuh uh! We'll go out clubbing next week when you get back for Ladies' Night." She said as she heard a knock on the glass. "That'll be the guys. You stay put. No more arguments." She instructed.

It was Bella's turn to roll her eyes. She shook her head, moved behind the counter, and pulled one of the fresh made bear claws from the case. When she came back around the counter, it was her lack of attention that nearly landed her on the floor. She gasped when she felt a pair of muscular arms around her waist to steady her before she could fall. Those tattoos looked familiar to her.

"I should get you a bell to wear so people know you're coming. That makes the fourth time this week alone. If it happens anymore I'm going to **have **to assume you're doing it on **purpose**." A deep voice chuckled.

"_Jared_?!" Bella gaped at him in shock.

He smirked. "In the flesh. Though I am curious as to how you know my best friends' girlfriends."

Bella was shocked when she saw her neighbors hands holding firm to her hips. "**You're** their partner?! **You **are the Jared that Paul and Sam have been telling me so much about lately?!" She asked. "How in the **hell **did we not know each other when we were **younger**?"

Jared let go of her hips. "Yeah… uh… I knew Sam from when I'd visit my dad during the summer. I met Paul a few years ago after Sam and I started hanging out again in college… how do you know them?"

Bella smiled and hugged him to her, her arms wrapping around his neck in a brief hug before she stepped out of his hold. "Paul's my brother. Sammy may as well be an older brother too." She said watching his eyes go wide.

"I guess I never put two and two together. They always say 'Little B' in the shop… or Iz or Izzy. You never told me your brother's name or where he worked… just that he was a tattoo artist. Wow… small world, huh." Jared said with a grin while shaking his head.

Bella giggled while her friends just watched. They could all see the chemistry between the two. To say Paul was less than curious was an understatement. "So uh… there something we need to know about here?" He asked with an arched eyebrow. Sam tried hiding his laughter as Jared's face paled.

"Um… uh… dude… it's not… we uh…" Jared hated dealing with protective older siblings.

Bella only rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up Paul! You're **only **eight months older than me! Don't pull that '_intimidating big brother_'routine! And you know **damn **good and well you won't do **anything **about it anyways!" She huffed.

She grabbed Jared's hand and walked over to one of the booths in a flourish before shoving him in against the wall, taking her place beside him. Sam only snickered and shook his head.

"Well… so **this **is the neighbor _huh _Bella…" Emily teased sliding into the booth and sitting opposite her.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You two can stop any **time **now. _Remember_… S.O.S. rescue texts are only heeded when we're on **good **terms." She warned with a playful grin.

Leah's mouth opened for a moment in shock before she glared at Emily. "Don't you **dare **say anything else to rile her up Em. I don't like dealing with some of them. Bella has the patience of a _saint_. So hush." She huffed.

Jared snickered, having heard the story behind the S.O.S. Bella saw it and poked his side. His hand grabbed hers on reflex to keep her from doing it again.

Sam took the time to sit next to Bella, boxing her into the booth. "So… Bella… You and Jay huh?" He teased.

Bella eyed him. "You hush it Sam. You know better than to pry. Look at what happened the last time you tried that crap." She teased.

Paul choked on his sweet tea while Leah and Bella cackled. Even Emily grinned, having heard the story.

Leah snickered. "Poor guy… Em… I wish you had known one another then. Sam never blushed so much. For that matter, neither did Paul."

Jared arched his eyebrow at his friends. "When was this? I've never known you two to blush…" He teased.

"There's just some things a guy **doesn't **need to know about his sister… end of story." Paul huffed.

Sam shivered. "We were kids, barely 16, Jay."

"Ok… so change of subject… what do you have planned for yourself for a whole three month vacation from work Bella?" Emily teased.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm going to enjoy my vacation thank you! I hate grading papers."

Leah snickered. "Oh Bella, you love those kids too much to hate any part of being a teacher."

Emily hummed in agreement. "How come you never wanted to teach older kids?" She wondered.

"Well… it's like a friend once told me… I'd have too many problems trying to keep thoughts from wandering." She said while Jared smirked.

"Not all teenagers are that bad…" Sam grumbled.

Bella raised a challenging eyebrow. "Need I remind you of Jr. Prom, Sam?"

Leah let loose a peal of laughter. "I forgot about that! What was her name… Amanda something…."

Bella grinned while Sam moaned. "Amanda Windsor…"

"Isn't Amanda the one that you threatened to put in the hospital because of what she did to Sam?" Emily wondered.

"No, that was Ariel. I **did **put her in the hospital with a broken leg and three cracked ribs after the way she treated him. Stupid little bitch deserved worse than _that _too. But man did she scream!" Leah grumbled.

"That's right. Ariel was the one that Sam nearly drove his car over the cliff for in an effort to impress her. Stupid cow cried like a bitch when she got her wrist broken after I dropped her from the pyramid cradle during practice." Bella snickered. "It was an accident, _of course_." She grinned letting them know it had been anything but that.

Jared's eyes got wide. "Two things: You did cheerleading? And we're talking about Ariel Holderness, _right_?"

"You remember that?!" Sam's eyes widened as his cheeks flamed in shocked embarrassment. He chose to ignore Jared's comments.

"Yes, Jared. I did cheerleading for a year on a dare from Leah. And Sam, I remember Every. Last. Stupid. Stunt." Bella smirked.

Leah grinned and nodded. "And lets not forget when Paul first got his car. He used to tell the girls on the rez that he'd take them as close to heaven as they wanted to go." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey… you leave my Jezebel alone! I loved that car!" He growled.

Jared snickered. "What the _hell _bro? What kind of car was it?"

"It was his dream car… till his ex girlfriend went crazy and torched it when they broke up before graduation. I'd never seen Bella more pissed off than after she saw the car." Leah mused. "As to the make and model… don't ask… cars aren't my thing. Bella could tell you though."

Bella rolled her eyes. "It was a 1970 Chevelle. A 450 SS. Damn thing was **gorgeous **too… electric blue with white racing stripes… and the engine…" She moaned. "He had n LS- 6 450ci V8 engine that he built from scratch… what?"

"Well… it's not often I meet a woman who knows anything about cars other than their fast. **You**, Bella Swan, are an enigma. You like cars, you teach kids, you have a tattoo, your tongue is pierced…I mean damn…" Jared chuckled.

Sam and Paul shook their heads. "**A **tattoo?" Sam teased.

Paul smirked. "You mean to tell me you go running with this little chickadee every weekend, even go to the **gym **with her, and you've yet to see her other tattoos?"

Bella rolled her eyes at her brother and Sam before they could say anything else. She sighed and gave Jared a small smile. There was a reason she always wore baggy tee shirts when she went running. She didn't mind people staring at her, but she was still a fairly shy person sometimes. After Edward, she needed time to come completely out of her shell again.

"She usually wears a baggy shirt." Jared shrugged.

"Can I get away with saying I'm shy?" She tried.

"Speaking of tattoos… when do I get to do another one for you?" Paul teased.

Bella sighed in thanks. "Soon enough. I've been fiddling with a few ideas… just have to figure out where I want it."

"What about the family tree you've been talking about for few weeks now… I could draw something up for you if you wanted." Leah suggested.

"I knew there was a reason we kept you around me." She grinned.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Just tell me when. So long as its someplace semi decent. I'm not inking any place personal." Paul grizzled.

"Need someone to hold your hand?" Emily teased.

"Please… as if I needed to hold anyone's hand."

"Bitch." Leah huffed under her breath. "I'm still going with you when you decide to go." She wanted to see Bella squirm at least once to convince herself the girl was human.

Jared arched an eyebrow at her in surprise and question. "Do I **want **to know how many tattoos you have?"

Bella shrugged. "I have a few… you didn't think I had just the one on my wrist, did you?"

"Well, yeah, I mean… no offense, but you don't look like the type to have many tats.."

Bella grinned. "None taken. Save for the tat on my wrist, I've had Paul do every last one of my tattoos, plus my piercings. I've got eight tattoos and two piercing besides my earrings in total so far." She rolled her eyes when Paul snickered after Jared lost the ability to speak.

"Bella… you _broke _him!" Sam teased when Jared continued to stare open mouthed.

Bella shook her head and rolled her eyes. She looked at Emily, who shrugged. Bella smirked and before Sam knew what happened, the back of his head had been smacked. She snickered at his dumbfounded look.

"Care to share the ones I haven't seen yet?" Jared finally asked. He missed the warning looks sent his direction from Paul and Sam.

Bella pretended to think about it before shoving Sam out of the booth so she could stand up, smirking when he moved to sit by Emily instead. She turned to him, raising her shirt up her stomach to rest just under her bra. She stared at him as his eyes traveled over the expanse of light tanned, toned flesh.

The dangling star charm of her belly button piercing caught his eye first. She turned to the right to show off the first of her seven tattoos. Dancing across her hip was the phrase '_**Ut te ipsum verum**_' in delicate script.

"What does it mean? The one on your hip?" Jared asked moving closer to trace the words with his fingertips. Their friends watched in fascination as she shivered, her body reacting to his touch.

"To thine own self be true." She said before turning to her left. A beautiful tribal wolf howling at a thumbnail moon made its way up her rib cage with the phrase '_**neque ambulare, solus eris**__' _underneath it.

"This phrase?" Jared asked.

"You will never walk alone." Paul beat her to the answer, showing off his own piercing when he stuck his tongue out in answer to her glare.

Bella sighed. "Em, Lee… help me please?" She grinned when they only rolled their eyes.

She turned around then, lifting her shirt with their help. Jared could only stare in shock. The phrase, '_**spiritus magis rege**__' _was written across the back of her neck just low enough to be covered by a shirt collar. The entire left side of her back was covered in an intricate folded angel's wing. The entire right side was covered in a folded demon's wing. To say he was impressed was an understatement.

"**Damn **Paul, she's a walking showcase for some of your best work." Jared praised. "What does the phrase on your neck mean?"

They shared a laughed when Bella turned around again. She watched his eyes dancing over her body, taking in her lithe form with new appreciation.

"It means, Spirits guide my choice." Paul mused bringing Jared out of his trance.

"After the first one I got done at 16, I got all the rest done by him when he was old enough to start doing them. He's an amazing artist." She grinned.

"Damn right, but don't let her fool you. She'll say I'm amazing… we all know it's the truth…my sister just doesn't trust anyone else." Bella shrugged but didn't deny it.

Sam rolled his eyes. "And there goes the ego again. Did you have to Bella?" He huffed when Bella shrugged.

"Didn't your back hurt though? I mean, that's some _intricate _stuff. Must have taken what… four… five hours just to do just one wing?" Jared mused.

"Little bitch fell asleep." Emily grizzled.

Bella smirked. "And you whined when the rose was put on your calf with boy toy's name drawn into the petals. And that was **done **by said boy toy too." She teased.

"Fuck you, you little skank." Emily huffed with a grin. "You said Sam would go gentle because he was my _boyfriend_! You never said he's that gentle **all **the time or that it involved that many freaking _needles_! They're _needles_… in your _skin_! And it **hurts**!"

Bella blew her a kiss. "Love you too Emily, but you're not my type. I'll take Leah instead." The girls shared a laugh while the guys stared.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Just because I have a low pain tolerance… I mean… four to five _hours _for one **wing**…and you fall asleep through it!" She huffed.

"Don't get upset baby. I still love you." Sam grinned.

Emily smiled. "Aww, Sammy, I love you too."

"Aww!" Bella and Leah cooed. Jared and Paul snickered along with them.

Emily kissed Sam's cheek before getting up to re- open the store. Bella busied herself helping the two make the store presentable for customers.

"Has it been an hour already?" Leah asked.

Bella frowned. "Just about, yeah."

Leah rolled her eyes. "We're grown up now, Bells. You can't be around all the time anymore. Don't be sad."

"See… this is why I love you two. Lord knows you're better than **some **people."

"_Meaning_?" Emily asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Alice has been hanging around the school and now my apartment ever since I told her to go fuck herself. She thinks after the dressing down that she got from me last time, I'll forget everything that was said. As if **that's** gonna happen." Bella sighed.

Leah scowled. "Do I need to have a talk with her? I mean, after all that was said, I'll still kick her ass. You know I'm good for it too."

"Don't you dare leave me out of it. I've been **dying **to give that little bitch a piece of my mind too!" Emily growled. "Even after what you told us she said to you! I mean the **nerve **of that snooty ass skank telling you that you should forgive **him **of all people! **Ugh**, it makes me _sick_." She hissed.

Sam looked away- he didn't want his friends noticing the tightness of his jeans. Seeing Emily angry turned him on for some reason. "Here we go." He muttered. Paul only sighed.

Jared shifted in his seat. "So… are they always like this? I mean, are they always this… _aggressive_?" He asked.

"Not always. You're just seeing this now because of who they're getting riled up over at the moment. Bella's ex did a number on her. I mean above and beyond cheating, he tried to turn her into a Stepford Wife." Paul sighed.

Jared arched a brow. "That bad, huh? Is it wrong that I think it's kind of hot to see an aggressive woman? So long as its not turned on me…"

"You have no idea…. My ex Arianne was the last person they got worked up over like this… though Emily wasn't around then- just Leah and Bella. The poor girl didn't stand a **chance **after she torched my car. It was like a week before graduation. I broke up with her because she wanted to go to school on the East Coast. Long distance relationships barely work out…"

"He wanted to date Leah too… that was the real reason." Sam cut in with a snicker.

"You were cool with that?" Jared wondered. He knew from talking with Sam that Leah was like a sister to him. "I mean, I never asked."

Sam shrugged. "She liked him too… she didn't think I knew, but I did. So yeah… I was cool with it."

"So **anyways**," Paul huffed. "I had just gotten home from work. Bella and my mom stood in the kitchen cooking dinner. A game on TV had Charlie's attention. I had just sat down to watch the game when I heard my mom and Bella start screaming at Arianne as she ran away cackling like a loon."

"Wow… did they see her near the car outside or something?" Jared asked.

Paul shook his head. "No… it was in the garage. The bitch waltzed into the garage side door when my mom and Bella had their backs turned and lit a match in the back seat."

"**What**?! Talk about a crazy ass ex! As bad as it is to say, I'm glad it was you, not me." Jared said.

"Lucky enough, my dad and Paul got the car outside without too much damage to themselves or the house. By the time the fire department came, Hailey had the area around the car hosed down enough that the fire wouldn't spread. They put the rest of the fire out and that's when they found her stupid hoodie." Bella said. She grinned at her brother when he rolled his eyes at her interruption.

"They got their payback alright- her and Leah. The poor girl didn't walk across the stage due to embarrassment. She tried to say something, but no one believed her. Even Charlie had his doubts…" Paul sighed.

Bella merely smiled. "I'm just that good." She with a wink.

Jared eyed her up and down, trying to process what he'd just learned. She wasn't as innocent as he imagined. As she made her way down the hall to the bathroom, Jared followed with the excuse of having to pee before they left. Leah and Emily only rolled their eyes; they knew better than that.

He found Bella bent over, picking up a napkin from the floor and nearly moaned. Her _ass _in those _jeans _gave him a near instant hard on. "Bella." He whispered.

Bella stood and turned, finding Jared in her space a welcome sight. "Hey Jared." She said before biting her bottom lip.

Jared grinned. "I just wanted to come say bye. The guys and I have to get back to the shop." He said moving so they stood toe to toe.

"O-okay. I guess I'll see you later then." She mused.

"Yeah… maybe… I mean if you wanted to… maybe I could come over later… watch a movie or something." He whispered.

Bella's eyes darted from his eyes to his lips as her head tilted up towards his. "That sounds fine."

Jared grinned. "I so want to kiss you right now. You have no idea." He whispered placing his hands on her waist.

Bella batted her eyelashes and smiled up at him. "I think I do." She whispered in return as her hands slid up to rest on his broad shoulders.

"So maybe I should just kiss you then." He whispered, his voice husky and dripping with lust and desire, his lips just barely brushing against hers.

A throat clearing behind them forced the two apart. Leah smirked. "Jared… the guys want to go. They said to hurry the hell up- Paul's words, not mine. And Bella… Emily wants to talk to you for a minute… she can't get your recipe for those candy puff ball things right." She said before walking away.

Bella bit her bottom lip and tried to quell her blush as much as possible. "So.. Um… if you're up for it… come by later. We can watch a movie or something."

Jared nodded. "Sure… um… I'll bring a few movies with me…I just… yeah I gotta go… see you later." He sighed, kissed her cheek and headed back out the door trying to adjust the aching hard on in his now too tight jeans without his friends noticing.

Minutes later, Bella emerged and leaned over the counter with her head resting on her folded arms. She looked up when she heard her friends snickering. "What?"

"Oh woman, do _you _have it bad." Emily teased.

"You have **no **idea." She only sighed.


	5. Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

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(September)

Bella sighed and leaned against her door. Emily had set her up with a friend of hers on a blind date the week prior. This had been their second date since then. The man, Jeremy Redfeather, was from the Makah reservation where Emily had grown up and had taken her out for a quiet birthday dinner. He'd captivated her with his humble nature, kind spirit and easy confidence. She loved that he didn't care at all that she was only 'half blooded' as some girls in the tribe had often teased her about being when she'd been younger. He was intriguing, she'd admit.

What wasn't so intriguing, and was in fact, rather embarrassing, was the way her ex boyfriend had shown up out of the blue half way through their date. She'd apologized for Edward's actions, telling Jeremy that he was an ex who seemed hell bent on making her miserable before she asked him to take her home. He told her it was alright, but she knew better. His body language said it all.

At the end of the night, regardless of being Emily's friend, Bella knew he wouldn't stay. Edward had always been on the dramatic side and he succeeded in keeping her single- again. It seemed Bella just couldn't get a break. Eight pm on a Saturday night and she sat at home- alone- with a bottle of red wine that had been collecting dust on her counter.

With a shake of her head, Bella made her way to the wine rack sitting next to her fridge and poured a healthy dose of the red liquid into a tumbler. She usually wasn't one for wine, but the bottle of Merlot had been gifted to her. She didn't want to appear too rude by not at least having one glass of it. She had to admit, it had an amazing flavor. Her phone ringing distracted her from her dark thoughts and she hit answer with a sigh.

"Hello?" She cursed herself for not looking at the caller ID before answering.

"_Well… that was certainly an eventful evening_." An amused voice teased.

"Don't start Emily. I just want to finish my wine, take a bath and forget the whole night **ever **happened." Bella whined.

"_Eh… I had a feeling Jeremy was on the intimidated side when he told me what happened. He shouldn't have let Edward come between you two, and on your birthday no less. You're a good person, Bella and an amazing friend_." Emily told her. "_I wanted to call and see how you're doing. He called me ranting and raving about the idiot pale face who 'ruined his evening with the fuck hot teacher.' Of course this was before he told me he'd be heading home in the morning_."

Bella smiled. "Thanks Em… I'm ok… little mad but, I'm alright. I just wish I could find someone who wasn't scared of the douche bag. I mean… this is the second guy who's said 'fuck it' rather than try. Am I that horrible that they're not at least willing to fight to be with me?" She asked. There were tears in her eyes and her voice cracked.

"_Oh sweetie! No! you're not horrible at all! All your friends love you. And you're one of the sweetest most patient people I know. I mean hell, you even tamed Leah. I remember how crazy she used to be. And you have a mass group of men at your beck and call if you ever need anything! You're not horrible at all. You're amazing, and gorgeous and smart and funny and passionate and any man would be damn lucky to have you on his arm_." Emily cooed.

Bella sighed. "Hey, Em. Thanks for that. I'm gonna go take a bath and try to get some sleep. I have to be at work early tomorrow. The principle always does staff meetings on Monday mornings."

"_Sweet dreams Bella bean_." Emily chirped.

"Night Em. Love ya girl." Bella hung the phone up and not ten minutes later, headed towards her bath.

A knock on her door caught her attention just before she slipped into the water. She huffed and threw on her silk kimono robe before making her way to the door. Looking through the peep hole, she bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Of all the times for him to knock, it had to be this one. She shook her head, fluffed her hair and cracked the door open.

"Hey Jared. Everything ok?" She asked, trying to sound perky.

Jared grinned. He held up a few envelopes with a shy smile. "I think we're both going to have to talk to her now." He said in way of explanation.

Bella laughed. "But of course. Um… thanks. Did you just get home?"

Jared nodded. "Yeah… new kid didn't work out like we had hoped. He got busted for possession. Sam, Paul and I want it to be a drug free place of business, so he got the boot. It's back to us rotating weekends again." He sighed.

Biting her lip in silent debate, her head finally won. "Do you wanna come in for a glass of wine and unwind? I just opened a bottle of Merlot. It's good."

It was Jared's turn to hesitate. "You sure I won't be intruding?" He asked noticing the make up she wore.

"Not at all. I just got home. Emily set me up on a blind date… It didn't work out too well… I'm no fun anymore I guess." Bella said with a roll of her eyes.

Jared snickered. "Is that so? Maybe we should make her come running with us one of these days for payback."

"She'd die." Bella said opening the door all the way for him while walking down the hall way to her kitchen.

Jared imagined a cartoon wolf- eyes wide and tongue lolled out- as he watched her hips sway from side to side in her robe. He didn't notice her turn around before her throat cleared.

"Sorry… sorry, um… you said?" He asked walking in and closing the door behind him.

Bella giggled. She watched his eyes stray to her legs once they sat on the couch with their glasses. "You've never seen the tattoos on my legs have you?"

"No, you're always in pants or long skirts. You told me about them… but you've never showed them to me." He muttered.

He didn't want to be too obvious in his appreciation of her barely covered body. He didn't want to point out either, that he knew she'd **only **been wearing the silk kimono. She was comfortable in her own skin and around him. He hated to think he'd been friend zoned. It was the **worst **place for a man to find himself and not where he wanted to be at all.

"Well, here…" She raised her robe that much higher and Jared had to shift on the couch. The image of a black swan with its wings spread was put on full display for him. Jared immediately recognized it as Paul's work and shook his head.

"You're brother has some amazing talent. And you have a great deal of patience to sit for it." He told her.

Bella grinned. The tattoo itself spread the width of her thigh and when she walked, it made the birds wings move. "It's a symbol of my family." She told him.

"The swan I get, but… why color it black?" He wondered.

Bella grinned. "Because of my mom's maiden name. Renee Black. My uncle loved it, so did my cousin. He had Paul do the exact same thing on his right shoulder blade. My dad had a conniption fit when I showed it to him, but my uncle told him it would be fine. I think he worried about who would be seeing it is all."

Jared sat in stunned silence. _Black_. As in **Billy Black**\- the _chief _of the Quileute tribe? He wondered how he never put two and two together before then. He knew her mother was a Native American, knew her father was the chief of police and had married Paul's mom- another a native woman. **How **could he not know she was Billy's _niece_.

"Jared… you ok?" Bella asked with worry in her voice.

"Huh… oh um… yeah… I think… I mean… I know I never _asked _you… but… who is your mom related to in the tribe?" He sounded shy in his questioning.

Bella looked confused. "Paul and Sam never told you?"

"No… we didn't talk about siblings when we hit on chicks in bars." He quipped.

She rolled here eyes. "Mhm."

"Paul only told me that your dad was chief of police in Forks. But I'm starting to wonder… I mean… and you said your mom's maiden name was Black… the only people I know with the last name Black are Billy and Jacob Black…."

Bella grinned. "Yeah… that'd be my uncle and cousin." She said.

Jared looked shocked. "Oh wow… talk about a small world." He laughed. "I can't believe you're the chief's _niece_!"

"Yeah... How come we never ran into one another?"

"Well, remember I told you my parents divorced when I was little? After that, my mom moved so I only saw my dad on the weekends- those same weekends you spent with your dad in Forks after he moved off of the reservation... I usually hung around with a few friends outside of your little circle- Sam among them… I didn't talk to Paul until Sam and I ran into one another in college.

"I knew about him, but I hung out with Sam over the summers mostly. Once we were there in college though, we took the same art classes. We got closer and found out we had a few things in common… bad relationships can bond guys like nothing else."

She laughed at that. "Lee wanted to kill the bitch for what she did to Sammy. And Paul's ex…. I still can't believe it. But now Sam has his Emily… and Paul has Leah and they're so happy. So things worked out for everyone."

Jared laughed and nodded. "I'd always heard about you while we were in college, but I'd never seen you before… Paul and Sam had a ton of pictures of their girls but none of you- at least none that I'd ever seen." He mused.

"No… they still don't have too many pictures of me." She grinned.

"You like to hide from cameras don't you?" He teased.

Bella snickered. "Maybe."

"So how did you and Paul ever end up as caring siblings. It still blows my mind to think of you two as civil for too long. You two are total opposites as far as I understand." He teased.

"My parents divorced when I was 3 but they stayed friends. I think they realized they were closer when they weren't in a relationship. My uncle Billy laughed at them and said 'I told you two so' when they signed the divorce papers. I got to stay with my mom on the reservation while my dad chose to move into a house in Forks after that. I'd stay with him every weekend unless something special got planned.

"My mom's the one who introduced my dad to Hailey when I was 5. That's also the first time I ever met Paul. He annoyed the **hell **out of me for the first year I knew him. He was a pain in the rear end when we lived together as kids. After Hailey moved in with my dad, I had to put up with him on the weekends too… But… I guess growing up together makes you think of them more as actual siblings over just being a step sibling."

Jared laughed. "You two are close though. What changed?"

She sighed. "The car accident I told you about before…" She said holding up her wrist. "We wanted to be typical rebellious teens… I'd spent the night at my friends house… and it was the one weekend her parents went out of town. Angie had always been an amazing girl. I think even Sam had a crush on her at one point." She giggled at Jared's shocked look.

"Anyway… we let our friend Lauren convince us to go to a party at her friend Jessica's house. I guess if you wanted to be 'cool' in Forks, you partied at her house on the weekends. I told Paul where I would be… he said he wanted to come too but for some reason, I guess he decided to stay home.

"Things went great until a few of the jocks in school tried to hit on Angie and I. They were drunk already… and just **so **not my type to be honest. Cute… **maybe**… polite and respectful… not even **close**." She grimaced at the memory. Jared leaned over and took her hand with a smile.

Bella sighed. "Anyways, long story short… Lauren passed out after four beers, six body shots and who knows what else she took. Angie and I wanted to go, but Jessica told us to stay. Eric and Ben had overheard us, granted they'd had one beer a piece, they offered to take us home. Mike and his friend Russell overheard them. They followed us out to the open road… started all these stupid stunts to try and impress us… get us away from the geeks, so they claimed."

There were tears in her eyes as she remembered in vivid detail the events of that night. Jared wiped a tear from her cheek and rubbed her arm in soothing circles. He'd heard bits and pieces of this story from Paul, but he always stopped at a certain point. He'd been too afraid to re-visit the past and remember an accident that had nearly taken the life of his sister.

Jared smiled at her and kissed her knuckles. "You wanna stop?"

She shook her head. "I'm good. I've never talked about it to anyone except Paul and Leah."

Jared nodded. "I won't judge you. Tell me what happened?"

"Mike's car lost control… rear ended us hard right into oncoming traffic. Angie got flown through the windshield because her seat-belt defected. She died on impact. The glass in the back sliced into me- all over my arms and neck- while I tried to brace myself against the hood as the car rolled. I had enough time to call Paul and tell him to come find me before I lost consciousness.

"I found out from my dad later that Paul dragged us all out of the car one by one before the car caught fire. When I woke up in the hospital, Paul told me if I ever scared him like that again he'd kill me only to bring me back and kill me again. Then he told me he'd deny it if I told people he'd been crying or that he said he'd been scared for me. Four months later I went with my dad to have my first tattoo done."

"Wow… I'm so sorry. I can't imagine ever going through something like that." Jared had talked to Sam that summer and found out that a good friend of his had been in a serious wreck where someone had died. Now he knew Sam had been talking about her. Bella was lucky to be alive from the sound of it.

"Angie was one of my best friends. Her parents were heartbroken. They came to see me while I was in the hospital and thanked god I was still alive. I told them that it was my idea to go and they should hate me. But then they told me that Angie would have gone with Lauren anyways- the girl was kind of a bully.

"They told me they were glad she had me to keep her out of trouble and say when it was time to leave and not let her do anything stupid. Then they went to see Lauren too. She'd been rushed into the ER to get her stomach pumped. They cursed her up one side and down the other for pressuring Angie and I into going in the first place. They did the same thing with Mike and Russell. It's bad when a reverend curses."

Jared chuckled. "What about the other two kids… Ben and... Erin?"

"Erik. Ben had two broken ribs and a broken arm. Erik walked away with a fractured hip and a broken arm. Ben also had damage done to his face… the air bag deploying saved him from brain damage… but… none of us forgave ourselves or Lauren, Mike and Russell."

"Losing a friend in a car wreck's something I've never had to experience. But you said you were 16, right?" She nodded and he squeezed her hand. "Maybe it's time to let go of some of that, don't you think?"

She shrugged. "The day Paul turned 18, he got his certifications. I waited a year before I went to see him. I think I pissed his boss off something fierce. I told them under no uncertain terms that **Paul **would be the only one to see my drawing, and **he **would be the only one to ink my skin."

Jared laughed. "**Why **can I see you doing something like that?"

Bella gave him an innocent smile. "I have **no **idea what you're talking about Jared."

Jared rolled his eyes. "So what'd you have done? I bet he did something awesome."

Bella grinned at him and stood up, turning her back to him as she went. There on her left calf was a large cross with vines twisting in various patterns around it. A solitary date was done in a bold red color at the bottom of the cross. The phrase, '_Angelus sit mihi dux_!' was done in fancy script lettering.

"Holy hell, even back then his technique's amazing! I've never seen any of his early work. I mean, you don't see the people you ink unless they give the ok for a picture afterwards. What does the saying mean?"

Bella grinned. "It's for Angie. It means Angel be my guide. I think Paul knew who it was for too. You'd figure something like that would take maybe an hour or two… but for him it took like three hours. He wanted everything perfect, so he put as much detail into as he could. He told his boss to take out of his paycheck what wasn't covered in his charge. To my surprise, the man was cool with it. I guess he knew before hand what had happened."

"Yeah, some of em are alright if it's family. Though, I've worked for a few hard asses." He stifled a yawn and searched around for a clock. His eyes bulged when he saw it.

"Has it been two hours since you knocked on my door?" She teased.

"I think it has, Ms. Swan. I need to call it a night. Early morning tomorrow and all that." He said standing.

She nodded and followed him to the front door. "I enjoyed talking Jared. I'm glad you came to see me." She said leaning her head on the door.

Jared grinned. "Maybe I'll come by again soon. Sweet dreams Bella."

"Night." She grinned when he kissed her cheek then again close to the corner of her mouth before disappearing behind his door. With a sigh, she took a ten minute shower and crawled into bed with a smile on her face.

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Bella sighed. The week had passed by in the blink of an eye for her. She had a smile on her face as she made it to the fourth floor of her apartment building, thankful it was Friday and school was out for the weekend. She mused that maybe she would invite Leah and Emily over to finish the wine she had opened the previous weekend.

She never noticed a tall, pale figure standing near her door. "Hello Isabella."

"What the hell Edward?" Bella jumped back in fright. "What're you doing here?" She hissed.

Edward gave her a crooked grin. "I came to see you of course. I miss you, love."

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's Bella, not _love_! **B-e-l-l-a**. Get it right asshat." She huffed. Her patience was nearly gone when it came to her ex and she let him know she was at the end of her tether.

Edward frowned. "You've changed since you left me." He stated.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Your **point**?"

"I don't like it! I want you to come back with me. The family misses you a great deal. I could make you happy!" Edward huffed.

"Are you _serious_?! Open your damn eyes Edward! What part of 'it's **never **going to happen' do you not get?! I don't **want **you back. Did you admit what you did to your mom and dad yet?" She asked. "Has _Tanya _told her partner- **your dad**\- that she slept with his _son_?"

"They don't need to know about the past, Isabella. It's in the past for a reason!" He tried.

Bella glared. "Wrong answer dipshit!"

He'd had enough of her attitude and her fowl language. His temper flared and before either of them knew it, Edward had Bella pinned to the wall with a hand pressed tight against one of her upper arms. The other hand landed a sharp slap to her face. It had force enough behind it that her cheek swelled along with busting her lip open.

"That's **enough**, Isabella! I'll **not **have it anymore! You **will **respect me!" He growled.

Bella whimpered. "Let me go Edward! You're hurting me!" She hissed.

"Not until you _listen_, and listen _well_,you little **bitch**. You may think you're better than me… But I'll have you know, I can be the sweetest man you've ever met, or your worst enemy. As it stands, my parents want to see us back together, so that's what I want. Because I want my money and the only way to get it is to find someone like you. They loved you, so I want you back.

"Now, if it means putting up with a new and bitchy you, then I guess it's what I have to do. The longer you draw this out, _Isabella_, the harder it's going to get. Now do us **both **a favor and just give in and things will be fine." He said before kissing her hard. He ignored her flailing arms and pressed her hands above her head. He held her wrists together tight with one of his own large hands.

They never noticed Jared getting off of the elevator at the end of the hall. He had been too lazy to use the stairs, and at the moment he felt thankful for it. "What the hell's going on here?!" He hissed, pulling Edward off of Bella when he noticed her struggling to get free.

Edward looked livid. "What the hell do you think you're _doing_? Get your hands off of me **now**!"

Jared crossed his arms over his chest and stepped into his line of view, blocking him from Bella. "I think **I **should be asking **you **that question! Who the hell are you, and why the **fuck **did you try messing with Bella?" He asked in a menacing tone.

Edward's fight or flight reflexes kicked in and he stepped back to study the situation. His instincts yelled at him to walk away and avoid a fight. One of the mans biceps looked as large as one of Edward's thighs. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and huffed. "This isn't over Isabella. We still need to talk!" He gave her one last glance and stormed off to the elevator.

There were tears on Bella's face when Jared turned to her. He frowned when he noticed her face: the hand-print on her cheek, the split lip along with the already forming bruises to her arms and wrists and finally her trembling frame. "Holy shit. We should call the cops sweetie… was that your ex?"

She took a shaky breath and nodded. It wasn't but ten minutes later that they sat curled up on his couch with an ice pack to her cheek after he had used both of their phones to take pictures of her face, arm and wrists. She hadn't even objected when he scooped her into his arms and carried her into his apartment after refusing to involve the cops. It was the first time she had been inside, and she was shocked it was so neat and tidy.

Bookshelves filled with books, movies, video games and random trinkets lined one wall with an entertainment center in the middle. Against the opposite wall was a leather sectional and Bella found herself longing to be swallowed by it. His coffee table was low, but well maintained for as old as it looked, and the only other piece of furniture was a leather lazy boy recliner. It lacked a woman's touch, but somehow, Bella loved it.

"So that was the ex then?" Jared finally prompted when he came back after making them both some tea.

"That was the ex." She said with fresh tears welling in her eyes. "He's never been that… out of control. I just didn't know what to do. I told him to leave me the hell alone and the next minute, he's hitting me and then kissing me like he owns me."

"The hitting thing is new then, huh? Fucker's lucky it was just me. Sam and Paul wanted to come over tonight. They got called back to the rez by your dad this weekend though… You gonna be ok?" He asked while rubbing soothing circles down her un-bruised arm.

"I'll be fine. It's nothing I can't handle." She tried to smile, but he saw right through it.

"Dipshit's lucky your brother wasn't here. We may all be the same age, but Paul would still try to kill him."

"Tell me about it. Paul would have gone after him again." She huffed.

"Again?"

Bella nodded. "When we broke up in our sophomore year of college… I guess I went home and Paul just knew. Don't ask me how, but he knew something was wrong. So he asked my dad and like a fool, he told Paul that Edward and I had broken up because Edward cheated on me with a girl he met at a party. It was a drunken one night stand but word still got around that I had been cheated on by him.

"Paul drove to the Cullen house when we went home to visit our family. He asked to see Edward and then had it out with him. He says they just talked, but to this day, Edward's terrified to fight Paul. Sam was with him at the time and neither of them will tell me what happened."

Jared snickered. "I can't say I blame him… he's kind of scrawny…"

Bella giggled before biting her lip to cover a whimper. "Please… Jared, don't tell him. I don't want Paul to get into trouble because of this. If it ever comes out I'll let him know I made you swear. I don't want to cause problems and I don't want Paul fighting for me. Not like that. He's got a life with Leah now to think about too. I heard he's gonna propose soon. He even asked me for Leah's ring size."

Jared smiled. "Bella… I promise, unless it gets too bad and I have to, that I won't say anything unless you ask me too. Ok?"

She sighed. "Ok, thank you Jay."

Jared smiled. "Take a nap. You'll feel better for it. I promise I'll protect you." He teased.

Bella grinned. "You're sweet." Her had already started closing. She scooted over closer to him and leaned her head on his chest. "Only a couple hours." She warned.

"Only a couple hours." He promised with a kiss to the crown of her head.

He didn't want to admit to her that he would be just as happy if she never wanted to leave. He'd started falling hard for her, and that could prove to be a dangerous thing for them both. They'd both been hurt and their faith in relationships had been shaken. Maybe together, they could try again, but it would mean they'd have to grow closer than just casual friends. He sighed and turned the TV on, re-situating himself to make her more comfortable while she slept with her cheek pressed over his heart.


	6. Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

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(October)

Leah and Emily frowned to one another as they watched Bella leave their store. They'd just spent the lunch hour listening to Bella vent about all her dates gone wrong because of Edward. Once they'd prodded her enough, the proverbial flood gates had opened. They were ill prepared for the disaster awaiting them. The poor girl had been out four times in the last month alone with four different men. Two she met by chance through friends at work, one was forced by Emily's hand, and another, she'd met through a friend at her gym who knew someone who was single.

It was he whom she had gone out with the previous night. Things had been perfect until Bella had spotted Alice outside of the restaurant where they'd been eating. True to form, as soon as they stepped foot outside the doors when their dinner had finished, Edward stood waiting for them. He'd caused such a scene that the ride back to her apartment was met with awkward silence as her date tried to ignore Edward's threats.

Bella took the elevator up to the fourth floor after saying goodbye at the building entrance. She'd not even been in the mood to traverse the four flights of stairs as usual. Her friends had been shocked and now they just felt worried for her.

"Something needs to be done about this Leah! The poor girl's closing herself off from everyone- us included!" Emily said worrying her bottom lip.

Leah nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it, I had to drag her here to have lunch. It's been a month since we last saw her! I never even knew that she'd been on any dates! And Jeremy? What was up with that? Sneak!" She teased.

"He just got out of a relationship last year. When I told him about a friend of mine, he looked interested. They seemed to like one another. At least until Edward showed up to ruin it. That one was the only date gone bad I knew of though." Emily scowled.

"Who even **does **that?! It's not like she's his to **claim**! He lost that right a long time ago. And Bella will just keep hiding, hoping and praying things blow over soon. Like usual." She huffed.

"Yeah, well… it's gonna stop!" Leah growled pacing in front of her cousin. "I'm **not **gonna see my best friend hurt like this if I can do something to stop it! There's got to be something we can do! Someone has to do something!"

Emily sighed. "What can we do Leah? Bella won't tell anyone else. We had to nearly force her to tell us! She doesn't like making waves! She never has. It's just how she is, she's tough I'll give you that, but the girl doesn't like to feel like she's troubling others. It's her best quality and her biggest flaw all in one go. Damn stubborn woman."

"Well… what if **we **told Paul and Sam? Maybe even Jared… they're close." Leah asked, stopping to look at Emily.

"I don't know, I mean… what if Bella gets pissed. It's one thing to fight over something stupid, but we've never gone behind her back like this." Emily said biting her lip.

Leah sighed. "What else can we do? Bella's hurting. I've never not been able to help her before Emily. That woman is a _lifeline _for me. I've known her since we were _infants _just about, and she's as close a thing to a sister that I've got. Hell… I'm dating her _brother _who I've flat out told her I pray to one day **marry**! Do you blame me for being protective? She's _family_! Same as you, and if it was you in her place, I think- **I know**\- I'd do the same thing."

"Alright. Lets do it. Consequences be damned. I don't want to see her hurt anymore." Emily said nodding her head. She made her way to the front doors to lock them and flip the sign that said closed.

The two left the building after setting the alarm and made their way to Leah's car. It would be easier to drive to see the boys rather than walk and give themselves time to fret and worry about their reactions. Emily sent Sam a text to let him know they'd be stopping by and they needed to talk without distraction- it was serious. She even added that Leah had closed the bakery down in order to have a much needed discussion with them. No more was said and the car ride was silent as they drove to Sam's tattoo shop.

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Sam moaned and slammed his head down on the front counter. Their latest customer had just left, satisfied with the work Jared had done covering the name of an ex boyfriend. Sam only shook his head.

"I don't understand why women do that. I mean, its one thing if you know for sure you're going to stay together, but the stupid fool had only been with the guy for a month." Jared huffed.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah… I waited till the day I proposed to Emily to get her name on my neck. That woman is my world." He grinned when Paul pretended to gag.

"Yeah, but you've got Leah's name on your wrist too… didn't Emily find it odd that you claimed two girls as your own?" Jared teased.

"Nah… she was cool with it. Leah's like my sister… I can't say it any other way. I love the girl, I'd go through hell and back for her, Bella and Emily. But Leah was there for me after…" Sam paused and unlocked his home screen on his phone when it chimed. "Uh oh…"

"What's up man?" Paul asked with a raised eyebrow.

They watched as Sam's fingers flew across the screen in answer to the text he got. "The girls are on their way over here… something they need to talk about… something important."

"Sure it's not wedding planning again? You guys only have a month left before the big day." Paul teased.

Jared stayed quiet. He was happy for both his best friends; Paul for planning to ask Leah to marry him, Sam for being engaged. But he couldn't help but be jealous too. Not so long ago, it had been Jared who was engaged as well and the pain of what Kim had done still stung at his heartstrings.

"No… Em said something happened today… something serious… but she won't say what…Leah closed up early though, so it must be important." Sam said with a sigh.

Jared watched as Paul's brow furrowed in confusion. "What would make them close the bakery? That's where about 75 percent of their business comes from in a good week." He wondered. His friends shrugged in confusion still trying to figure out what could have happened.

"I don't know, but that's them in the parking lot." Sam nodded his head to Leah's car.

They each sat on stools behind the front counter when Leah and Emily walked into the shop. All three wore easy smiles as they greeted the two. They could tell the girls felt nervous- something unusual for them. The tension mounted in the room and Jared didn't like it one bit. He shifted before getting up with a sigh. He walked to the front door, locked it and flipped the closed sign before turning back to the rooms occupants nodding towards the back work area.

Sam nodded. "Come on to the back. We can talk there."

Leah squeezed Emily's hand before moving to hug Paul. She took a deep breath before following everyone to the back. She chanted to herself that they'd be doing the right thing and it was for Bella. She only hoped Bella would see it that way too. Paul stopped Jared with a look before he tried to leave when they were all in the back. He somehow felt this involved him as well.

"Ok girls… what's happened?" He asked, fed up with the tense silence in the too small break room.

Emily sighed. "Bella came by today…" She started. She looked at her hands, twirling her engagement ring around her finger trying to find the right words to say.

Sam, Paul and Jared perked up some. Bella had become a recluse the past few weeks- even to Jared who lived just two doors away from her. "How is she?" Paul asked.

Leah shook her head. "Not good…." Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to focus on what needed to be said.

Jared tilted his head. "What's wrong, is she sick? I haven't seen her in a while…she's either gotten sick of seeing me or she's just been waiting for me to leave to head to work in the mornings. We used to see each other every day, it's been a couple weeks now that I haven't seen even a hair on her head." He glanced at Sam and Paul, both of whom echoed his worry.

"No.. she's not sick. She's… it's…" Leah looked at the ceiling as if it had the answers she wanted to find. "Did you guys know she's started dating again?"

Jared raised an eyebrow. "So **that's **what's been up with all those clowns at her door?!"

Paul and Sam looked at Jared. He sighed and shook his head in mild amusement as he recalled each of the men he had seen at her door as he came or went. "For like… the past month, Bella's had guys knocking on her door… a couple repeats. They were all jokers though… there was one… a native guy that she looked at least semi interested in for a while. Even he's gone now though." He shrugged. They seemed satisfied with the answers.

Emily nodded. "That was Jeremy. He was interested in her too… for a while… something happened though and he tucked tail and went back to the Makah reservation. He told me it wasn't anything against her, he just didn't want to be so far away from family." She said with a roll of her eyes and a sneer in her voice. Jeremy may have been a friend but she considered him a coward for allowing Edward to run him off so easy.

Leah shook her head. "The dates themselves were fine. Bella said they'd all been nothing but perfect gentlemen."

"Why do I have a feeling we're not going to like what's said next baby?" Sam mused.

Emily bit her lip and grabbed Sam's hand with one of hers, running her fingertips over the designs of his tattoo sleeve. "She has a stalker… two of them…" She started.

"Come again… it sounded like you said Bella has a **stalker**." Sam growled.

Emily nodded. "It's someone intent on making her life a living hell."

Leah eyed Paul as he tensed in his seat. "Only one does the actual dirty work… keeping an eye on her… saying when she's out and about so her stalker can show up and cause hell. He's caused enough drama to send each new potential boyfriend running for the hills. Poor Bella's exhausted because of it."

Jared eyed the girls. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that he may end up having to break his promise to Bella. He'd been able to keep quiet about it so far, but if they said the name he was dreading, he would have to come clean and pray Paul didn't knock him through the brick wall. "Who is it?"

Emily looked at Sam. "Swear to me you won't do anything rash. Please… baby you have to stay calm." She tried.

"I'll try, but I'm not going to promise that. It's Paul you need to worry about though." Sam said watching his friend.

Leah turned to Paul. "I swear I didn't want to keep it from you baby. I didn't know. I just found out and I already feel like I'm betraying her confidence… I just don't know what to do… please promise you'll stay calm."

"Lee… I can't make promises. It's my family. Please, baby girl, I won't be mad at you… tell me who's stalking my sister?" Paul whispered.

Leah had tears in her eyes when she looked at him. It made his breath catch to see the pain of her betrayal there. "It's Edward. I don't want her to be pissed off at me, but we don't know what else to do. She's cutting herself off from everything and everyone because she thinks she's going to cause problems otherwise."

Paul sighed. He wanted to throw the closest thing at the wall in his anger, but seeing his beautiful girlfriend in tears of worry, fear and her own betrayal…he pulled her into his arms and helped calm her. "I'm not mad at you… or you, Emily." He said giving the girl a smile. "I wish I had known. I wish any of us had known. I'm gonna kill him."

"I'm so sorry Sammy. I hate going behind her back but that bastard's trying to stake a claim on her life… he just won't take no for an answer. She said he's trying to win her back to keep his inheritance or something… his mom and dad loved Bella so now that's all he wants IS Bella. Regardless of what he did to her." Emily told him. Sam just sighed and hugged her close.

Paul closed his eyes against his anger. "Limp dick went too far. I warned him. I told him over and over to leave her the hell alone. First thing I need to do is call my dad. Second thing I'm gonna do is pull out my old steel toe boots. Third thing I'm gonna do is lay the fucker out for even thinking of going after my sister again. He won't even dream about talking her when I'm done." He growled lowly.

Sam watched Jared's fists clench and narrowed his eyes. When he got up to leave, Sam kissed Emily on the temple and followed him to his station. "You alright bro?"

Jared sighed and shook his head. "Have you ever made a promise to a friend to keep something a secret… even when it sounds bad but you find out just how bad from someone else?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, not prepared for the question. "A few times… but I try not to land myself in situations like that too often. Why, what's wrong? You know you can talk to me dude."

"I know I didn't grow up with Paul and Bella, or even Leah and I'm sorry it took me so long to ask to meet Emily… or to put two and two together that Bella was Paul's sister until we started to hang out… but **damn it **Sam. Bella… she's something else! She's a good friend, and now I find out that some _asshat _thinks he's going to just… **stalk **her and stake a claim on her to win her over again?" He picked up an empty bottle of ink and flung it across the room.

"Whoa… easy bro… tell me what's going on with you. I'm not following you." His voice sounded soothing and Jared started to calm down some. He never noticed Paul, Leah and Emily standing near them after hearing the glass break. Sam and Paul locked gazes- just long enough to let the other know they were worried for their friend. Jared hardly ever lost his temper the way he just had unless his feelings were invested.

"Last month, when you guys wanted to spend the weekend at my apartment… the weekend you guys got called back to the rez by Paul's step dad…you remember that?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah… Paul was bummed because he had been looking forward to just chilling like we used to in college."

Jared nodded. "Something happened. Back in May, I got introduced to the bitch, Alice Cullen… remember the day Paul inked Kim's baby sister. I was none too pleased to see her let me tell you… she tried to belittle Bella for every choice she made right down to what she wore and how long her hair was. I mean Christ Sam, the woman threw it out there that she thought Bella was in the wrong for working! Then I found out how bad Edward had treated Bella. To say I was pissed was an understatement man. Guys like that shouldn't have half a chance to even date someone like Bella, you know."

Paul snorted and Jared turned to smile at him half heartedly. "So what happened the weekend we left… what's got you so upset?" Paul asked coming to sit beside Sam on an empty bench. Leah and Emily smiled and sat by Paul and Sam while Jared paused to quell his temper- even thinking about the day he met Alice got him riled up all over again.

"I'm getting there. I think I was more happy that we had off for the weekend because I just wasn't paying attention at all. I heard shouting at the end of the hall, looked up and I swear if I could turn into the hulk or something, I would have." Jared sighed. "Don't be mad at me Bella." He muttered.

Sam raised an eyebrow and waited patiently. He grinned when Emily hugged him from behind resting her chin on his broad shoulder. "I put a message on the front door that said you were closed for a family emergency." She whispered, watching while Jared tried to gather his thoughts.

"Jay… bro… you're scaring me… you're never this bad with words. What's up man?" Paul tried.

"Bella… he had her backed into the wall… he started screaming in her face… when he stopped screaming at her he forced himself on her… and when I got close enough I saw the busted lip and the hand print on her face. He tried forcing himself on her, and she tried damn hard to get away. He had her pinned by her wrists and bruises started forming on her arms…" Jared swallowed and sat on his work bench. "I've never been so scared and pissed off all at once in my life."

Paul swallowed down his anger. He noticed Sam's fists were balled up and Leah and Emily were both tense as well. "W-who was it, Jay?"

"Her ex… she told me it was Edward." Jared tried to fight the angry tears in his eyes, and Paul and Sam both noticed it.

Jared may have been an ass sometimes, but they both knew that he was taught to always respect women. Just because his parents didn't get along didn't mean that they didn't teach him that women were to be treated like goddesses- or so his dad had told him. If there was ever an argument it was better to walk away and calm down first before trying to solve it in anger. It was a rule Jared always lived by and to see something happen to Bella- something he had had ingrained in his head was wrong… Jared was not a happy man.

Paul couldn't fault him for keeping it a secret. If he knew his sister, he knew Bella had told him not to say anything. He wanted to be mad. He wanted to hit Jared, but seeing him so heartbroken over it, Paul simply sighed and hugged Leah to him instead.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "That was the secret wasn't it." It was a statement more than a question. "Did she make you swear to not tell any of us?"

He nodded. "Bella told me she didn't want either of you getting into trouble. Sam for the wedding, and Paul… you're her brother. She said she didn't want you two to worry and she could handle it. She wouldn't even let me call the cops." Jared saw the small smile. He could have blown Paul's plans wide open.

"I told her I wouldn't say anything unless I felt I had no other choice. Hearing what's been going on… he's not going to stop unless something is done. And he won't listen to her when she tells him to leave her alone. I feel like Leah right now, you know that? I don't like breaking promises, but this one… she's gonna end up hurt." Jared whispered the last part, speaking more to himself than to his friends. They could all hear it loud and clear though, and they all felt the same way.

Paul sighed. "That's how Bella is. We're cool dude. Don't worry. I'm still going to have words with Edward though. He keeps messing with my baby sister, I'll kill him before I talk to my dad."

Sam grinned. For the last ten or so years, Charlie had been Paul's dad, not his step dad- the same way Bella was his sister not just his step-sister. "I'll help. Bella is family to me. And I'm sure Jake, Embry and Quil will want to have words with fuckward too."

"I'll help you guys too." Jared promised.

Leah and Emily smiled. The hard part now would be getting Bella to open up to them. They spent another half hour talking about what could possibly be done and finally came to the agreement that the girls were to take Bella out for a weekend get away at a spa in Seattle. While they did that, Sam, Paul and Jared would have words with Edward. If he got lucky, he'd make it through unscathed.

By the time Jared got home from work, a small weight had lifted from his shoulders. Yes, he'd blown what happened to Bella out into open air, yes, he felt he'd betrayed her confidence. Now at least something would be done about it. He closed his eyes and sighed as he stopped to check his mail box. He rolled his eyes when he saw the name Isabella Swan, apartment 4D plastered across a few envelopes. He took the elevator up and stopped to knock on her door. When she didn't answer, he sighed and headed to his own apartment.

Bella watched from the peep hole as Jared returned and scribbled something onto a post it note before sliding her mail to her from the other side of the door. She watched him retreat into his own apartment and sighed. Cursing Edward, she opened the door and made a show of looking both ways down the hall. She had just gotten out of the shower, but it wasn't as recently as she pretended. It was all in case Jared had been doing what she had been- watching from the peep hole of his own door.

With a small shrug, she picked her mail up and closed the door. There on the post it note, in his legible handwriting, was a message that simply said, '_I miss hanging out B. Come over some time. -Jay_'

She smiled and decided then and there that Edward would have less of an effect on her social life. She'd already made up her mind, she wasn't taking him back but avoiding people, her friends, wasn't healthy, and they'd started to notice how stressed out she'd become. She wasn't hiding it so well anymore. Tomorrow was a new day, and she vowed to try and gain back some of the ground she'd lost with her friends. She only hoped her ex would take the hint and back off this time. She didn't need all the extra drama.


	7. Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

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(November)

Bella sighed and curled up on her couch with a cup of coffee and a book. She'd just gotten out of a shower and sat clad in only a black lace bra and thong set covered by her silk kimono robe. Last night had been another failed attempt at a date. She felt at wits end though she thanked God for the weekend. She looked forward to two relaxing days of no work and no stalking ex boyfriends to intimidate potential boyfriends.

Leah and Emily had been more than pleased when Bella started coming out for lunch with them again. They also loved that she talked to the boys again as well. Her weekend jogs were picked up with Jared once more and their visits to the gym had once again become routine.

None of them had the heart to reprimand her for how she'd acted. Bella had always been selfless in that sense. She would have rather dealt with the stress of having a stalking ex boyfriend on her own than include her friends. It had simply been bad luck that Leah knew her too well and knew how to draw information out of her faster than a nurse drew blood from a patient.

She had just gotten into her book and was completely oblivious of anything else around her. It was at that moment when her front door opened and three sets of ears listened out for any sign of life in the apartment. Paul, Sam and Jared walked through the door and rolled their eyes when they saw her. She didn't even hear the keys in the keyhole, much less the door open. Paul only sighed and shook his head.

"Well it's good to know you'd be safe from someone trying to rob you. At least you have Jared to look out for you!" Paul said right behind her.

Within moments Paul, Sam and Jared were doubled over in laughter as Bella let out a high pitched shriek and jumped from the couch. Her back was flush against the opposite wall and she had a hand pressed to her heart as she tried to calm her frazzled nerves.

When they'd calmed down again, Bella made her way into her room to change into a flimsy tank top and a pair of sleep shorts. She didn't feel like getting dressed just yet, but walking around in a robe with next to nothing on under it while her brother was in the apartment wasn't acceptable either. She made her way into the kitchen to grab everyone drinks and something to eat once she was out of her room. No one would ever deny that she had been raised to be a proper hostess.

"So do you three want to tell me why you felt the need to knock about ten years off of my overall lifespan?" She quipped when they had settled down against the plush cushions of her living room furniture.

Paul shrugged. "Missed my lil sister."

The truth of it was, Leah had heard from Rosalie (who'd spoken to Alice) that Edward had been avoiding three massive Native Americans who'd been in his office for nearly a week wanting to speak with him. Alice figured that Rosalie wouldn't know who they were when she started degrading them, calling them all sorts of horrendous things. Leah also learned that Rosalie happened to switch Alice's hair dye colors so the woman would be walking around with bubblegum pink hair and eyebrows for a few more weeks.

It came out from Emily who'd gotten a phone call from Rosalie as Sam had been coming in to see her that morning, that Edward wanted to stop by and see Bella on his lunch break. He wanted her to call off her lackeys- so Rosalie had quoted him at least. They wanted to see his face when he learned that the men he'd been avoiding now sat relaxing as guests in Bella's home. Sam and Jared could only snicker. Paul could barely contain his smirk of glee as they all relaxed against the couch cushions.

Bella scoffed. "Paul, please… you're **only **eight months older than I am and by _no means _does that make you more mature than me. You're little stunt just **proves **it." She huffed.

Sam smirked. It was wiped away when Bella raised her eyebrow at him. "I uh… I mean… we um… we wanted to say hi… so… hi Bella."

Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hi Sam. You're still not off the hook."

Jared stayed quiet. He threw a sideways smirk to Paul and Sam when she merely smiled at him. "Hey Jay."

Jared grinned in return. "Hey Bella. Sorry about scaring you." He said.

"Suck up!" Sam coughed.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "What was that Sam? Why yes, _of course _I'd love to tell Emily about the porn I saw you watching when she went out shopping with Leah the other day. I'm **sure **she'd love to know you imagine her as a bottle blonde with too much make up caked onto her face and a mouth that just won't shut." She challenged.

Jared and Paul snickered when Sam paled. They stopped when she turned her attention on them. Paul was quick to change the subject. "So… I hope you're free today Bella… I rented a specific movie for us to watch with you in mind." Paul grinned.

"Should I be worried?" Bella wondered as she eyed down her brother.

"Nope." He grinned popping the p.

She sighed. "Gonna give me a hint?"

Sam grinned. "Who's your favorite super hero of all time?" He moved his gaze to Jared. They may have been best friends, but Jared didn't believe it when they told him that Bella was a Superman nerd.

"You brought me Man of Steel?!" She squealed before lunging herself at her brother, kissing his cheek again and again.

Jared was floored. "Well damn." He said before Bella perched herself in his lap in order to kiss his cheek too. "Who knew?" He teased.

"Hush. Superman's amazing! And that movie was incredible! Did you even see it?!" Bella squealed again before pretending to swoon against Jared's chest.

Sam shook his head. "Yes Bella, we saw it. Now hush and play the dang movie. Sheesh woman. You'd think it had been something important."

"Hey, just because you like the wimpy little flying rat!" Bella teased. She got up, placed the DVD in the player and curled back up at Jared's side. It was natural for them and Paul watched with open curiosity. He had to wonder if they even knew they'd started doing it- gravitating towards one another the way they had been.

Sam pretended to glare. "We're so not going there little miss. There isn't a valid argument you can come up with to make me think that superman is more important than batman! I mean, the dude is awesome." He said indignantly.

"Plus he has money!" Paul added.

"Let's not forget the fast car." Jared mused.

Bella let out a sad sigh. "You're a batman fan too, huh Jared."

"Nah… I like em all. I think batman has some fun villains. The joker is hilarious! But I like all the heroes. Although, Thor's cool… I mean what can be more awesome than a God?"

Bella eyed him before she shrugged and curled back up beside him. "Smart man."

Two and a half hours later found the four teasing one another -Bella most of all about her love for Superman- again. The atmosphere was light and friendly and Bella felt more relaxed than she had in a long while. It had been under two months since Edward started trying to force his way back into her life and she vowed that she wouldn't give him anymore ways in again.

"You ok Bella? You look kind of down all of a sudden. Wanna go for a run to put a smile on your face?" Jared mused.

"I'm good… just thinking I guess… been busy lately. I'm glad you guys are here though." She grinned at him.

Sam laughed. "Yeah, yeah, we love you too Bella. No need to embarrass yourself." He teased.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Hush it you! Don't make me cry to Emily. You know how protective she can be of her friends. And you know what happened the last time you messed with me." She smirked.

Paul and Jared both stared at her in shock. "You'd take that away from him?! Bella you can't be that cruel!" Paul stuttered.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "You'd think not. But…Oh Sammy, I hope you know I'm teasing. I couldn't do that to you… at least not without serious provocation." She appeased giggling at the shock written onto his face.

Jared shook his head. "So not a typical teacher." He muttered.

"What was that Jay? Hm?" She needled, poking her finger into his ribs. She smirked when he squirmed.

"I said nothing." He quipped squirming away from her prodding fingers.

It had been a well kept secret that Jared was ticklish. That was until Bella uncovered it on accident. Now, she took advantage of it whenever she could.

Paul and Sam watched the two, lost in their own little world. Bella had moved so she nearly straddled Jared's lap as she tickled his sides. It wasn't until Jared pinned her hands behind her back with his, holding firm at her wrists that either of them became uncomfortable. Paul cleared his throat loud just before their lips met in what would have been a lust filled kiss.

Sam laughed at their flushed faces. "Problems?" He teased.

"One name, Sam." Bella idly threatened. She hopped up off of Jared's lap and started gathering their cups to take to the kitchen. She grinned when Jared stood and took two of the glasses from her motioning for her to lead the way.

Paul shook his head. "I should be pissed. Jay's got the hots for my baby sister… but damn, I want those two to get together."

"I know where you're coming from man. He'd be good for her. And she'd be just as good for him. You know that." Sam mused.

Paul nodded his head in agreement. "I think he'd be the only potential boyfriend I'd ever approve of- shocking as that sounds."

"Me too… I hated Edward. He was so wrong for her. I knew it before we even knew what an asshat he was." Sam huffed. "Just something about him. He would always look down on us because we're Native Americans. I mean… the hell? It's like he wanted to squash out a part of her family history just because he doesn't like us. Fucker should have had his head bashed in a long time ago."

Paul laughed. "Down boy."

"Sorry. Just… ugh. We need to get those two together before my blood pressure gets bad." Sam teased.

"There's definite chemistry, I'll give you that much. But Jared's still clinging to Kim. And if I ever meet the bitch, I'll let Leah loose on her. And that's saying something." Paul said with a chuckle.

"Don't forget Emily. I forget sometimes that they're related." Sam shivered.

"Or that they're best friends with Bella?" An amused voice sounded. They looked up to see Jared standing beside them.

"How much did you hear?" Paul wondered. "And where's Bella?"

Jared shrugged with a grin on his lips. "Just how I'm still clinging to Kim and you'll let Leah and Emily loose on her if they ever meet. Don't worry guys. Kim's… we're… she's gone. And yes, it took a damn large chunk out of me. But… I'm here. And… it's getting better. As for Bella, she said she wanted to clean the kitchen then get dressed in something more fitting for company. I guess she likes to let her hair dry or at least that's what she gave me as an excuse." He said with a one shouldered shrug.

Paul grinned. "Sounds like her." Sam only nodded.

"So… are Leah and Emily that bad? I've heard stories from you two… but they look so sweet. So does Bella for that matter." Jared grinned sitting down with them.

"I don't know what I would have done without Leah after Ariel left me." Sam mused. "That girl is one of the best friends I'll ever have. And yes… those three together are hell to keep in control of when they're pissed… I pity the fool who thinks they can beat them."

"You know… you never did tell me what happened between you and Ariel… All I heard when I came to stay with my dad for the summer was that Ariel and you had split." Jared frowned. "You guys had been dating since like, freshman year or some shit."

Sam nodded and eyed Paul in thanks. Paul was the only one who knew the truth. He was there when Sam found her. Bella knew by default, but that was because Paul was her brother and Sam was always near Paul- save for the weekends and during the summer time when Paul would work.

"Ariel never gave me any warning. I came home from my part time job in my dad's mechanic shop and there she was, in my bed with a friend of mine. But what about killed me was when she acted like it meant nothing. She wasn't shocked, she wasn't scrambling to find clothes, she just laid there looking at me. She even had the balls to finish them both.

"It was after we were alone that she gave me my promise ring back and told me that she never wanted a thing to do with me again. She said she needed more than I could give her. I'd always be nothing more than a grease monkey and I'd never make any of my dreams come true for her. She wanted a life outside the small town reservation and she wanted what the world could offer. She left town the next week and I haven't seen her since then." He said as his eyes misted. The pain was still there buried deep.

Paul clapped him on the shoulder. "You've got Em now bro. It's all good."

Sam grinned and nodded. "Yeah. That's the other reason for the tattoo on my wrist. Leah banged her up good the next day. Busted her leg so she started college in a cast. No matter the story she told anyone, we all knew the real reason. We also all knew that she wouldn't say anything." He shrugged.

"Bella busted her to high heaven. She gave her a black eye, a broken nose and a cracked jaw bone. She also told Ariel that if she ever came back around me she'd regret it. Bella never says something she doesn't mean, and she grew up around guys so she packs a serious punch."

"Man the girls are vicious." Jared mused.

Paul laughed. "Yup." He started to say something else when a knock on the door sounded. "Show time." He snickered.

Sam stood and walked down the hallway to Bella's room knocking on the door. "Bella, you expecting someone?" He asked.

"Not that I'm aware of, why?"

"There's someone knocking at the door."

"Jared, grab the door please." Bella called out from the hallway.

Jared shook his head with a playful grin. "Sure, she sends me to do the dirty work.". They knew he wasn't upset.

"That's what you're good for, Jay." Paul teased.

Bella laughed having heard them. "No Jay. I trust you over the idiots I call family."

Jared opened the door and arched an eyebrow when he saw just who stood in the doorway. "Can I help you?"

Edward glowered. "Why the hell are you here?" He all but hissed out, trying in vain to hide the bouquet of a dozen or so red roses from Jared's laughing eyes.

Jared blinked. "I was invited. What do you want?"

"I'm here to see Isabella." Edward huffed.

"Will you please give these to her? Roses always were her favorite."

Edward asked before handing the roses to Jared.

Jared rolled his eyes. "So not even close. It's the Stargazer Lily nimrod. Do you even know anything about her?" He said taking the roses and depositing them into the trash bin near the inside of the door. He missed the awed look that crossed Bella's face- she hadn't told him that.

"Tell Isabella I'll speak to her later." Edward growled out in frustration.

"You can tell our dad why you're harassing and stalking her if you'd rather." Paul mused, drawing Edward's attention off of Jared. He watched with some satisfaction as Edward paled.

Paul smirked while Sam and Jared snickered. "That's what I thought cock sucker. See, Bella won't say it. But I will, and I did. Our dad is pissed at you. Now leave. her. alone. I'm trying to be the bigger person here, so the next time I see you near my sister, your ass is fish bait. Don't fuck with my family again."

Before Edward could say a word the door was slammed in his face. His fists were balled tight in anger as he tried to think of a way to knock on the door and not have to deal with any of the Neanderthals inside again. Smirking as he thought of an idea that may work, Edward sent a text message to his sister. Within twenty minutes, Alice walked off the elevator of the fourth floor.

"I thought she had enough sense to not move back to this dump!" Alice sniffed when she came to Bella's door.

Edward nodded. "Tell me about it. It's no place for my future wife, that's for sure." He sighed.

"You should have known she'd allow her friends to influence her." Alice said condescendingly. "Why did you even cheat on her in the first place?!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Just knock on the door, Alice. I haven't got all day. I have a court appearance to make tomorrow and I still have to gather the rest of my notes for the case."

It was Alice's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever. You owe me big time." She said raising her hand to knock on the door.

Bella huffed when the knocking started again. She looked through the peephole and growled. "Why'd he have to think she would be able to get me into the hallway?!" She whined.

Paul and Sam shared a look. "Alice." They deadpanned.

Jared grinned. "Allow me." He told her as his hands went to her hair.

She squealed in displeasure when she felt him muse her hair, ruffling it and generally undoing all her hard work to tame it. He merely kissed the tip of her nose and moved on to ruffling her shirt. He turned to Sam and Paul and motioned for them to turn a game on, telling them to start cheering. When they were distracted, Jared stepped into Bella's personal space and pressed his lips to hers.

The sudden contact of his warm lips against hers left her breathless. Her arms moved to his neck and his hands moved to her waist. She gasped when she felt the tip of his tongue swipe across her bottom lip, seeking permission inside her mouth. Bella granted mere seconds later and a battle for dominance was won by Jared. He let loose a quiet groan when the door was knocked on again.

"There." He mused pulling away. With every word said, their lips touched. "Now you look good and kissed." He grinned.

"Tease." She muttered.

"You liked it." He whispered in her ear before wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder when the door was opened.

"Can I help you Alice?" Bella wondered, pleased to see open shock dancing over the other woman's features.

Alice stared at the pair in front of her blankly for a moment. "Um, hi… Bella. Look I know you don't want to see me right now, but I wondered if I could have a word with you. In private."

"I don't think… hmm quit that Jay… I don't think that's such a good idea right now Alice." Bella tried hard to keep her eyes from rolling back into her head as Jared's lips found and teased the sensitive skin of her neck.

Jared smirked at Alice and moved to nip Bella's earlobe. "Don't keep me waiting." He muttered loud enough for Alice to hear. She had no idea it was staged.

"Who was that Bella? Was that the neighbor I met a few months ago?" Alice wondered.

"His name is Jared and he's a friend of mine." Bella sighed.

"Looked more than just friendly. Who else is in there?" She wondered when she heard cheering and booing coming from the living room.

Bella growled. "That's none of your concern. Now, what did you want?!"

"I-I I just wanted to talk to you…" Alice was taken aback by Bella's blunt anger and hostility.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Like I said, it's not the best time. I have friends and family here. As a matter of fact there IS someone you can talk to… hey Paul… come here for a sec." She called.

Paul stood and knocked Jared in the back of the head before walking over to his sister. He smirked when Jared cursed under his breath. "What's up Bella?"

"You remember Alice right? Edwards sister?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow.

Paul grinned. "Oh! Right… stalker pixie bitch!"

"Excuse you?!" Alice hissed. Edward moved to her side from his place behind one of the carved out sections of the wall.

Paul arched an eyebrow. "You heard me. I found out from a trusted source that you've been stalking my sister when she goes out at night before reporting back to your brother. The next time I find out about it, you'll have papers sent to you in the mail to appear in court for stalking and harassment.

"As for you limp dick.. I told you- you fuck with my sister again, you're going to regret it. Now, get away from my sisters doorstep and let her get back to her toy boy sitting on the couch." He said before slamming the door in their faces. Edward and Alice were left shell shocked and speechless. They didn't know what to think. It took them at least five minutes before they even tried to move towards the elevator to leave.

"Paul!" Bella hissed in embarrassment as she followed him into the living room again.

Paul and Sam laughed. "What? After that little display that you two think you got away with before the door opened? Nuh uh! You better pray nothing slips to Lee or Em." He teased making Jared shift.

They sometimes forgot that Bella could be just as dangerous. "So it'll be ok to tell Leah and Emily about the set of twins that I saw hitting on you while you ate lunch the other day? You remember the two- blonde, busty, and begging to be taken in the open with their asses all over your laps while you ate?" She asked with crossed arms and an arched eyebrow. "I wonder how your women would feel when I let it slip that it took me saying something to make them go the hell away? Hm?"

"You wouldn't… please don't Bella… I'd never hear the end of it!" Paul whined. Jared was stunned. Not only had she not caved, but she had Paul acting like a scolded child without having ever yelled once.

Sam shook his head. "Come on Bella. You know Paul only wanted to get a one up on you. He's sorry… aren't you Paul?! Please don't say anything." Paul nodded his head, agreeing with Sam.

Bella squared her shoulders before glaring at the two. "You'd do well to remember that just because I teach second graders doesn't mean that I don't know how to deal with the likes of you!" She huffed.

"As for **you**…" She wagged her finger in Jared's face with a playful smirk on her lips. "Thank you for helping me get rid of Alice. I'm sure she was shocked to see the hands on display but if you've left a mark on my neck, _so help me Jared_, I'll skin you alive!" She threatened.

Jared could only nod his head in agreement. He was careful to not move too much. Her brother sat close by and he felt too aroused. He'd never seen the dominant, feisty side of Bella but he loved it. He only hoped he'd get a chance to see it again sometime soon.


	8. Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

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(December)

Jared sighed as he watched his latest customer walk out the door of their shop. Two hours of listening to the woman prattle on about how gorgeous he looked had him nearly at his wits end. She'd been at least twice his age, and married too. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard snickers behind him and rolled his eyes at Sam. Paul had stepped out to lunch with Leah and left them in the store alone for an hour. He shot his friend a half hearted glare and shook his head.

"What's the matter Jay? You look annoyed." Sam teased. "Should I call Bella?" He pressed.

"I have no clue what you're talking about Sam. She's off limits, remember?" Jared grumbled.

He wished Sam had still on his weekend trip with Emily. The two had decided they'd take Billy up on his offer for the use of his family cabin in a more remote part of the La Push reservation after their wedding last week and they'd just gotten back two days ago. Already Jared felt ready to bang his head through a glass mirror.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Tell that to her! That woman's crazy about you Jay." He huffed.

Jared shook his head in denial. "Not a chance in hell she sees me that way. Besides, even if I did… I can't do anything about it. Paul would kill me!" The two never noticed Paul walking through the back door for the last part of the conversation.

"I would kill you for what?" Paul asked making him jump.

Sam laughed. "For admitting he likes your sister."

"Sam!" Jared hissed before turning to Paul. "She's a friend." He sighed.

Sam snickered. "Not what I heard from Emily. She told me an interesting story while at the cabin. You two have gotten close if what Leah told her is to be believed."

"No… we're just friends. And before you say it, that whole kissing display last month was just that… an effort to help a friend. And it worked. Now please, can we get to work?" Jared said with a shake of his head and a roll of his eyes.

Paul rolled his own eyes. "When're you gonna stop trying to feed me that line of bullshit? Jay, I say this as your friend… you've got the hots for my sister… and I'm cool with it."

Jared spluttered and nearly dropped his tattoo gun. "W-wh-what? N-not even. She's a f-friend."

"Uh huh… and pigs can fly too." Sam snickered sharing a look with Paul.

They both gave him props for trying to honor the 'bro code' but they could tell how much it killed him to behave himself too. And Bella was even worse. She became shy and would barely make eye contact with him when Jared was anywhere near her.

Paul merely rolled his eyes and placed bags of food down on the table along the back wall. "Leah and Emily send their love. And Bella said to say hi Jay."

"She was there with them?" Jared asked, too interested in the answer.

Sam merely smirked. "See… you care too much about where she is, what she's doing and what she says. Just admit you want to fuck her. Paul doesn't care. I don't care. We just don't want the details."

Paul huffed and threw an ink pen at Sam's head. "That **is **my sister, Sam. Don't be so crude." He warned.

Jared shook his head at Sam and sighed. "How did you ever get Emily to date you?" He mused.

Sam laughed. "If that's all I thought Jared was after, I'd have beat his ass a long time ago- best friend or not. I think of Bella as family. As it stands, they're the ones I trust the most in a room alone together. As for getting Emily to date me… Leah did all the work filling my wife's head with all the good deeds I'd done. Half of them were bullshit that she called me on from the start. The rest is all me baby!"

A few minutes passed in silence while they ate their lunches. If they could admit one thing, Leah and Emily could cook. There were times that Jared wondered why Bella hadn't gone into business with them, but then he got to see her eyes light up when she would talk about her class and how proud she was of them. Maybe trying to date her wouldn't be so bad after all.

"So… would you not kill me if I asked Bella on a date?" Jared finally asked when they'd thrown the last of their food away.

Paul and Sam smirked. "Bout time you fucker. I thought you'd never grow the balls to ask her."

Jared was shocked. "That's all you're going to say?"

"What do you want me to tell you Jay? The woman likes you, you like her… what's the problem?" Paul shrugged.

Jared only shook his head. "I guess I thought you'd threaten to beat my ass or something." He said with a shrug.

"Call me giving you permission to date Bella an early birthday present if you will." Paul teased.

Jared rolled his eyes. "You fucker. My birthday isn't until the 31st. And please, don't tell the girls. I don't want them fussing over it." He warned them.

Paul smirked. "Bella wouldn't fuss over it. She'd just do something special for you."

"So… you're ok with me asking her?" He checked to make sure.

Sam chuckled. "You two have been tip toeing around one another for the last month and a half. Longer than that if we're being honest. The sexual tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. And lets not forget that she enjoyed that display you put on for Alice and Edward at her front door.

"I mean come on Jay… you had the balls to kiss her while Paul was in the same apartment but you can't ask her out on a date… stop being a pussy bro. And don't try to play that it was just a kiss... that wasn't JUST a kiss on the lips. You staked a claim on her and you know it. So do we."

Paul glowered at Sam. "Just treat her right. That's all I ask. She's had her fair share of idiot ex boyfriends… but damn even I can admit for some reason she likes you. So I'm cool with it. Just don't fuck with her emotions. I'd hate to lose a best friend and have to beat your ass."

"You know… I thought you'd try to kick my ass for even thinking about her like that." Jared mused. "The both of you."

They shared a laugh. "We know you. I grew up with you. It's not like you'd try to hurt her. I'd just have to kick your scrawny ass if you ever did." Sam teased. Paul snorted and tried not to cough while he swallowed his food.

"I'm not that scrawny! I'm only a few inches shorter than you, Paul! And I'm not that much lighter, either." Jared huffed, grumbling good naturedly.

Paul snickered. "Yeah, but next to the jolly green giant that is Jacob Black, all three of us are scrawny. The boy's pushing 6'8" and he's only 18." He said with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"We're all giants compared to fuckward though. I find that hilarious." Jared mused. "I saw the fucker outside our building the other day. He took one look at me and ran the opposite direction."

Sam and Paul guffawed. "Oh I would have paid to see that!" Sam crowed.

"Oh yeah… hilarious. Guess it's a good thing I had the wits about me to record it, huh?" Jared's eyes were filled with mirth as he pulled the short video clip of Edward running away from him up on his phone.

Paul's eyes widened in anticipation. "Let me see!" He grinned, salivating to see the video.

They shared a laugh, playing the video four more times before the bell sounding over the door brought them out of the back. Paul grinned when he saw a man standing by one of the counters looking at some of his sisters' drawings. The ones Jared had convinced her to let them use. Jared stopped in his tracks when he saw him. It couldn't be.

"Hey man, what can we do for you today?" Paul asked, his smile friendly and his voice at ease. He was a natural charmer when he wanted to be.

"I'm looking for something to surprise my girlfriend. We've been together for a while now… but I don't want names and nothing too girly. I kind of want it to relate to us though. Ya know?" He told him.

Paul nodded. "Yeah, names… can be tricky. Gotta be sure." He grinned. "Take a look at the stuff on the walls, if you see something, let one of us know." He said before turning back to the counter.

Sam noticed Jared's face pale and his fists clench in an unprovoked rage. His brows furrowed when he followed his friends gaze. It landed right on their customer. It took a split second to realize that this was the guy from the pictures he had seen in college. His eyes widened in realization and he nudged Paul to get his attention. He nodded to Jared and motioned for him to get him to the back. They'd never turn a customer away, but he'd be damned if he'd make his friend suffer through his presence.

"Josephine must have said something!" Jared sighed.

Paul looked confused. "Who?"

"The girl you inked a while back…the 15 year old who yelled my name when I walked through the door. It was Kim's kid sister. She must have said something to her… it's the only reason he'd come in here. They all live in Seattle still." Jared said, his anger gone.

Paul's eyes widened in realization. "Oh dude… I'm so sorry. I forgot! You should have said something after I got done inking her!"

"I would have thought the whole screaming my name thing would have been a hint enough she knew me." Jared teased.

Paul shrugged. "You know me. I zone out when I ink. I found it weird but I forgot about it. So who is that dude in relation to you?"

Sam sighed. "That's the fucker who took Kim from him." He only nodded when Paul's eyes widened in shock.

"Son of a bitch. Damn, Jay… I'm so sorry dude." Paul didn't know what else to say.

"It's cool." Jared sighed before heading back out front keeping his face down and his back turned.

He tried to appear busy while wanting to hear everything said all at the same time. He smiled and nodded to Sam to let him know it would be alright. He knew that business meant money and money meant that he got paid. It also meant that Sam would be buying him a beer later.

"So, did you find something that speaks to you yet?" Paul asked walking back over to him.

"I'm not sure. These drawings all look amazing. I love the detail in these dragons."

Jared raised an eyebrow. So he'd been looking at his work. He didn't know if he should be pleased or offended. He merely rolled his eyes at Sam and Paul; they both had to fight back snickers.

"So does your girlfriend like dragons?" Paul wondered.

"Yeah, she's into those Chinese looking ones. The ones that look like they have all the feathers and stuff."

Paul nodded. "So something like this?" He asked pointing to a few on the wall.

"Yeah! That one!" He said pointing to a pair of dragons intertwined together with a cherry blossom held in between their front claws. "Man, I could swear… this stuff looks so familiar. A friend of mine used to draw stuff like this all the time."

"Oh yeah? One of our guys is into dragons. He drew most of these, lets us use em." Paul smiled when Jared preened. "Come on back this way lets get you on the table."

"Yeah, he was like a brother to me at one time."

"Show me where you want this done." Paul nodded when he pointed to an area on his chest. "So you said 'was.' What happened? He move away?"

"No… we got into a fight over a girl. It was kind of messed up too. I hooked up with her… he liked her. I guess it pissed him off that she wanted me."

Paul heard Jared snort, but he refrained from saying anything himself. "Sounds like you guys aren't friends anymore… you still talk to the girl?" He asked while beginning to stencil the tattoo onto the skin.

"She's going to marry me. I want to do right by her and the baby we're gonna have. I guess she's the only one in her family who is happy about it though… her kid sister hates me… and her mom won't even speak to me unless my girl is in the room too. It's un-nerving sometimes."

Paul paused and pretended to fiddle with the ink he needed. He listened to Sam trying to get Jared outside before a fist sized hole ended up in the wall. "Well, I can't give you any advice. I've never been in that situation. I think she'll get a thrill out of the tattoo though." Somehow Paul knew that the girl he'd inked would recognize the artist behind that tattoo right away. Nothing else was said as Paul worked, though he noticed that Sam came back into the shop alone. All he said was Jay went home early… his stomach got upset. Paul merely nodded.

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Bella had just stepped onto the fourth floor when a weary looking Jared walked off the elevator. He barely even noticed her when they bumped shoulders- not that she'd been paying much attention either as she rechecked the list she held in her hands. She squealed when she felt her balance teetering and braced herself for a fall, only to realize that Jared had his arm around her waist to steady her. Her eyes widened when she saw the tears in his eyes.

"Jared?! What's wrong honey?" She cooed. "Did something happen to Paul or Sam?"

Jared shook his head and swallowed hard before he enveloped her into a tight hug. He didn't want to admit that hearing his one time best friend tell Paul that Kim was pregnant AND engaged again cut him to the quick. "I… I… work... bad day." He tried to tell her with shaky breaths.

"Alright. Come on then..." She started walking down the hall and stopped in front of her apartment door.

"You sure you wanna sit with me Bella? I'm not the best company right now." He tried to warn her.

Bella sighed. "Don't even try that. You've seen me in tears a few times now, Jay. We're gonna sit down with a tall glass of one of my two favorite men…" She grinned as she unlocked her door and dragged him inside with her.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "And who would those men happen to be?" He could his curiosity. He'd been thinking along the lines of actors and she would be subjecting him to a movie marathon on her couch. Then again, she said a tall glass of one of two men.

"Jim, or Captain Morgan… There's also Russian Standard. Pick your poison sweetie." Bella mused when she took him by the hand and led him down the hall to her kitchen.

"Vodka, whiskey or rum. I thought you meant your favorite actors or something. I mean, isn't that what women do when they're upset… sit down and watch chick flicks with tubs of ice cream?" Jared quipped. He never would have guessed that she'd chase away the bad memories with a drink or two. He learned something new about her every time they talked.

Bella threw her head back and laughed. "I was raised around men. Even Leah and Emily seldom demand to watch a 'chick flick' when they're upset. All that sappy romance just makes me sick and when I'm already in a mood to cry? Nope. I'll take a drink over a 'chick flick' any day." She said using air quotes.

Jared smiled. "Should have figured. You're so not the typical teacher. At least not what I would have pictured for a teacher." He chuckled. "Besides… didn't your mom tell you that women watched chick flicks when they were upset?"

She shook her head. "She tried. I'm just too much like my dad. I never did that whole… soap opera, whining, crying gig. It's not my style. I'd rather be outside playing football or soccer or be on the beach. It's the one thing my dad hated about me growing up on the rez.

"Most of my friends were guys… and Paul and Jacob both taught me about cars and how to fight when I was little… soo… I'm something of a tomboy too. But that's enough about me. We're here to make **you **feel better! And.. You should know me by now… I'm the atypical teacher, remember?"

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think I've told you that a time or two."

"Well good. At least we can agree on that. You've got to get this image you have of me as 'little miss sweet and innocent' out of your head. One of these days you're going to be disappointed when I turn out to be the opposite of how you picture me in your head." She teased.

Jared rolled his eyes. "Not at all." He didn't want to admit he already HAD pictured her in his head… just in not so many clothes as she wore now.

"Ok, we're going to play a game." She smirked breaking the growing silence between them.

Jared arched an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"Nope." She promised while popping the p. "We're going to play 20 questions. You're going to ask me something, I'm going to answer. And in between, we'll drink and forget about your crappy day at work. So pick your poison."

He took a moment to appraise her body as she presented her backside to him. The pin stripe pants she wore displayed each and every curve of her long shapely legs to him. He moaned when the white sweater top she wore rose to show off a sliver of her gorgeous light tanned skin. The blood in his body pooled into his dick and he had to shift his stance to try and relive some of the pressure he felt as they tightened. He bit the inside of his cheek to quell the groan that wanted to escape. Two could play this game.

Jared smirked. "If I have to, I choose Jack." He whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear as she reached for two shot glasses down from the cabinet behind her.

Bella gasped and closed her eyes as jolts of electricity traveled down her spine. "R-right. Have a seat on the couch, I'm going to go get changed out of these clothes and get into something comfy." She muttered.

She flushed when he muttered not to take to long and walked down the hallway with the shot glasses and the bottle of jack in his hands. She inhaled and made her way to her room to get changed. If everything went as planned, she'd be closer to him tonight than she had ever been, and she couldn't wait.


	9. Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

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(December)

Once she was in her room, she leaned against her door and tried to calm her already frazzled nerves. '_Down woman. This is to cheer him up Bella_!' She hissed to herself.

She changed into a tight top and a pair of sweat pants that hung low on her hips. She found Jared relaxing on her couch with one leg stretched out the length of the seat cushions and the other bent at a slight angle resting against the back of the couch. She shook her head and smiled. He had taken her advice and made himself at home.

"Ready to play?" She asked. She mimicked his position on the opposite side of the couch after pouring herself a shot of amber liquid.

"You have **no **idea." He muttered while nodding. It wasn't as low as he had hoped and Bella smiled when she heard it, though she didn't comment.

Bella smiled. "You can start then. I know it was my idea, but… I need a moment to think of something. My brain is still on school time. I can only say I'm happy it's finally winter break."

"Aww… kids getting to you." He mocked her with a playful grin.

She rolled her eyes at him and slapped his forearm in jest. "No, just some of the teachers. I hate the looks I get. They all know by now that I have an obsessed ex. If it's not pity, it's worry. A week of peace and quiet among friends and family will do me some good."

Jared smiled. "I see. Well… hmmm… something easy then to start. What's your favorite color?" He asked.

Bella smirked. "It changes from day to day."

"Well, today?" He grinned.

Bella nibbled her bottom lip. "I'd have to say… green. A deep forest green." She mused.

She didn't want to tell him it was because he always wore green and it did wonders to compliment his skin tone. By the arched eyebrow, she figured he'd guessed the reason for himself anyway.

"What's your favorite food?" She asked him.

Jared laughed. " I'm not picky. But I love anything that involves seafood. If you give me shrimp or crab meat, I'm a lover for life." He teased. "What's your favorite type of music?"

Bella grinned. "I listen to a lot of different stuff. Alternative, rock, classic rock, techno, _some _country. Nothing rap or hip hop- Mariah Carey being the **only **exception."

"Is that so?" He teased.

"Oh indeed. The woman is a vocal **genius**." She said pausing to throw back the rest of her shot. "Where's your favorite place to be?"

Jared grinned. "First beach right after a huge thunder storm. It's amazing." He grinned again when she nodded in agreement. "What's your favorite memory?"

Bella snickered. "I terrified Becca and Rachel when we were kids. I stayed with my uncle because my parents would both be out of town for a week. They were 16 or so 17… I was 13 or 14.

"They'd been picking on me for not being interested in make up like a '_real girl_' so… I waited for them to fall asleep before letting Jacobs' pet snake loose in their room. In the morning he'd curled up on one of their beds. All we heard were screams and then we saw them running out of the house in tears."

Jared guffawed. "I remember Sam telling me about that. He heard it from Leah. The girls got so traumatized they slept with her for the week."

Bella nodded. "Mhmm. I didn't have to sleep on a sleeping bag in the middle of the room for that week either." She snickered.

Jared shook his head. "Wow. Even back then you were an evil genius."

"Yeah, yeah… What's your biggest fear?" She asked him. She leaned over to get another shot of Jack and slid closer as she sat back down again.

Jared smiled at her antics. A deep frown replaced the smile as Bella waited for his answer. "I guess it would be that I won't be good enough for the next girl." He said with a small shrug. "I've got so much baggage… I mean… Kim left me for my best friend. She never said a word… and now… she's engaged and pregnant. Am I that bad?"

"Jay…" Bella let out a sad sigh and shook her head. "That girl worked you over good. If I ever meet her, I'll give her a piece of my mind." She squeezed his forearm in a comforting manner and smiled. "And **no**… there's nothing wrong with you. You're amazing."

Jared laughed. "Thanks Bella. Tell me what the best present you ever received was instead of what you're gonna say to my ex."

"Jacob made me a charm bracelet when I graduated high school. Embry and Quil made a couple charms each for it as well. I still have it, just don't wear it all the time anymore now that it's older." She grinned.

Jared watched her watching him as twin patches of rose started to blossom across her cheeks. He had to stop himself from cupping her face and bringing her closer for a kiss. Instead he settled on sitting closer, running his fingers against her skin every so often.

Bella's breath hitched. "What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for a girl on a date?"

"I took Kim to her favorite restaurant after we'd been dating for two years. She had no idea what I would do after I paid the bill. I got down on one knee in a crowded room and asked her to marry me. I even invited our families too, so even though she didn't know they were there, I did." Jared sighed.

"I gave her my grandmothers engagement ring. She always admired it… and my grandmother told me to save it for the right woman. I thought that was Kim…guess not." He offered a small smile and a one shouldered shrug.

Bella scooted close enough that she could lean against him comfortably and kissed his cheek. She lay between him and the back of the couch with her head resting on his shoulder. To the world outside, they would have been the perfect couple, cuddling together and talking. She wished they could be.

"It's never easy… letting go of your first love. But… I've learned that with Paul and Sam as friends, you tend to forget a lot faster. And Leah and Emily can help you there too honey." She told him with a smile.

She smiled and blushed at him when he did nothing more than stare at her. "Your turn.." She reminded him.

"If you could change one thing physically about yourself, what would it be?" He asked, his eyes traveling over her body. He chose to ignore her statement for the moment, not wanting to dwell on his pain.

Bella sighed and chuckled. He wanted to perk himself up by changing the depth of the questions. "My height. I'm too short." She huffed.

"I think you're perfect, babe." He smirked at her. He never noticed the pet name that slipped out, or the blush that graced her cheeks because of it.

"What's your most embarrassing moment to date?" She asked resting her chin on his chest as she shifted her body to get more comfortable against his own.

Jared let out a husky chuckle that rumbled within his chest. "Oh man… go for the jugular why don't you." He teased. "Let's see… I was 14 or 15 at the time. My friend had come over after school and we had somehow ended up watching porn on my lap top… leave it to my mom to just burst into the room claiming that it was too quiet… poor woman got an eyeful of her son and his best friend jacking off to some rail thin blonde with implants."

Bella let loose a peal of laughter while Jared ran his fingers through her hair. "Poor woman _indeed_. I'm so glad Paul and I respected each others privacy. I don't think I'd be as close to him if I'd had to suffer through that. Thankfully I understand the meaning of a closed and locked door."

"Yeah, well my door wasn't locked. We didn't think my mom would be home early… my buddy refused to come over when she was home for like a month. And then every so often she would tease the hell out of us after that."

"What's your favorite smell? You always have a different scented candle lit in here." He asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Hm… I'm not too picky, so long as it's soothing and smells good. It's a toss up between five though: Sandalwood, Lavender, Cinnamon, Vanilla or Cherry Blossoms. Take a pick." She mused.

"Would you think me odd if I said I like none of the above unless I'm around you?" He wondered.

"No. _Most _men I know don't like '_girly scents_.'" She used air quotes for emphasis. He nodded sighing in relief causing her to giggle. "What's the craziest thing you've ever been asked to do and **did do**?"

Jared laughed and shifted so she fell more into his lap without either of them noticing. "I got dared by my friends- Sam included- in college to streak across the campus screaming '_I'm too sexy_'after getting drunk at a party. I was hit on for quite a few weeks by women **and **men after that."

Bella shook her head. "That would have been a sight to see, I'm sure." She teased. "Wouldn't that count as an _embarrassing moment _though, instead of a crazy one?"

Jared shrugged. "I wasn't bothered by it. Well, maybe **some**\- guys hitting on me, telling me they were free any time day or night was the creepy part." He said taking another shot of whiskey, shivering when it burned his throat. "But I've had more embarrassing moments, as you just found out about, so no… it was just a crazy college stunt." He said with a grin.

Bella giggled. Her fingers skimmed along his abs without either of them saying anything about it.

"Do you remember your dreams?" He asked her after a brief spell of silence.

Bella moved her fingers up his stomach and drew random patters on his tank top clad chest with her index finger. "Sometimes. Not a lot… I remember the more… _interesting _ones." She said with a feint blush.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Care to share one?" He teased.

She ran her tongue ring over her top teeth and shook her head as a blush spread over her face and neck." N-no… they're kind of uh… _p-personal_." She said.

He grew bold and started trailing one of his hands from her shoulder down her back to the swell of her bottom before moving back up to her shoulder again. "Personal huh?"

She nodded and shifted, gasping when she felt him hard and needy against her lower stomach. A chance look into his eyes found them smoldering with desire. "What's the biggest lie you ever told someone?" She asked before taking a shot. She hissed at herself and called herself a coward for not just leaning up and kissing him.

Jared grinned, having seen the deep chocolate pools of desire in her eyes before she asked him her question. "I told Kim that I would never think about her again." He said with a small smile.

"I'm so sorry, Jay." She told him, her fingers tracing over a dragon tattoo on his bicep. "Here I am... trying to help, and all I do is ask questions to make you think about it again."

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault." He let his fingers just brush under her tank top straps before moving back down her spine. "So what's the longest relationship you've been in to date?"

Bella knocked her shot back and sighed. "Four years. I went through four years of being a Stepford Wife for Edward Anthony Cullen." She said with a sigh.

"Damn, now I feel like an ass. I didn't mean to make you think about him babe, I'm sorry." He told her laying a kiss to the crown of her head.

Bella smiled and ran her hands over his tank top, her fingers brushing over his nipple ring causing a groan to escape his lips as his body shivered. She jerked in response. "What, did something happen? Did I hurt you?" She panicked.

"N-no… no it uh… it felt good… it's sensitive…" He tried to tell her without giving away that he wanted her to do it again.

She grinned at him as her fingers brushed over the ring again causing his hips to raise as he squirmed under her. She bit her lip to keep the moan she wanted to release quelled. "If you knew then what you do now, would you still do some of the things you've done?"

Jared thought about it as his hand continued to travel over the length of her lithe frame, his fingers dipping just below the line of her sweat pants before making their way back up to her shoulders. "A few things, yeah. Keeping Kim? No I wouldn't have- I always suspected something, I just didn't question it. She would have stayed a one night stand. Staying friends with John? Not a chance in hell. Meeting Sam and Paul again in college? Yup… they're my best friends. Meeting Paul's baby sister? Definitely."

Bella grinned and looked up at him. "Yeah?"

It was Jared's turn to grin. "Yeah. I've definitely enjoyed getting to know you, Bella." He smirked when she blushed and tried to burry her face in his chest. He tilted her chin up to look at him and ran his thumb over her lips. "If you could go back to the past for just one day… where would you go?"

Bella's lips parted so that just the tip of his thumb fell into her mouth to be met by her tongue. She could only guess that the whiskey had pushed aside her inhibitions and allowed her to become more playful and flirty. Her eyelashes fluttered before she moved to lay an open mouthed kiss to his palm. She didn't miss the sharp intake of breath or the quiet whine when her lips left his flesh. She didn't miss the gulp when she moved closer to him, her thigh brushing against his near throbbing dick.

Instead, she told him her answer as if she were unaware she'd started driving him insane with need. "I'd go back to around 1880's or so. It was after the Quileute reservation was created, but there was still a sense of… I don't know… spirit. Sounds stupid I know… but… I think I would want to live in a time when people still cared a great deal for one another. You know?"

It took him a few minutes to form a coherent thought before he nodded at her. "Paul always joked about how his sister had an old soul. It makes sense. But you know… women didn't have that much freedom back then. They had to take care of their families while men were able to leave for days on end." He whispered.

Bella smiled. "I know that. But I like taking care of people as it is." She said as she rolled her hips to his in an innocent manner, trying to get comfortable. Jared bit his bottom lip as his hands moved to her waist. She looked down at him and smiled.

"What do you look for in a girlfriend?" She asked laying her head on his shoulder.

His eyes closed as he counted backwards from ten. The woman wanted to kill him. The way her body moved on his, there was no way she missed his body's reaction to hers. But she hadn't pointed out the obvious yet. And with that realization, came the next one. Every woman he looked at since he had met her, and started getting to know her, was compared to her. He licked his lips before trying to answer.

"Honesty, sincerity, loyalty, charm, playfulness, she's got to be someone I can just talk to about my day without her judging me. She'll be someone I can turn to no matter what, and someone who would always have my back. Someone I can think of as my best friend. And she'd have to not be clingy and demanding of my time." He wondered if she would guess who he'd been describing sooner rather than later.

Bella smiled up at him, her tongue slipping out to wet her bottom lip. "Is that all?"

"Isn't it enough that she'd put up with me?" He teased.

To that, she giggled. "I guess."

"What's the worst pick up line you've heard from a guy?" He asked his hands traveling over her body again, teasing goose bumps from her flesh at each brush of skin on skin.

Bella giggled as she thought about it. "It's not a line per se…" She started. Her eyes fluttered close as a small moan left her lips when his fingers danced over the inch or so of bare skin at her waist.

"Yeah? Care to tell me?" He smirked.

She nodded at him. "Sure…um…" She shivered and moved her hips against his when his fingers caressed the same patch of sensitive skin. He fought back the urge to grind his hips into hers as he watched her.

"So um… I went out drinking with Leah and Emily. A guy came up to us, asked us what we did for work after making small talk. Emily told him I was a teacher. He asked me for a dance, then told me that he had a ruler in his pocket that I could use before grinding against my backside. He then asked me if I wanted to practice my ABC's and told me he would have me screaming by the time I hit letter _O_."

Jared had to laugh. "Oh wow… that's bad." He said shaking his head. "I think I'd be embarrassed to admit a guy was a friend of mine if I'd heard any of them telling a woman that."

Bella grinned. "I'm ashamed to admit I egged him on some."

He raised his eyebrow at her, swallowing another shot of liquid fire. "And what did you do to encourage him then, Ms. Swan?"

She giggled before finally moving so that her knees were on either side of his hips so she sat completely in his lap. "I asked him if he wanted a detention with me." She whispered with her lips brushing the shell of his ear.

Jared's eyes closed as he gulped. "I'm sure he did. Did you give him detention?"

"Not at all… For _one_, he wasn't my type. For _two_, he was far more drunk than I was. So I told him to picture me on his date with his right hand later that night and walked away." She gasped when he moved her hips higher against his own so their bodies melded together.

Jared shook his head. "Every time I think I have you figured out, Ms. Swan, you throw me for another loop."

Bella smirked and dragged her nails through his hair, scratching the back of his neck. He shivered in the pleasure he received from that one act. "Who's the prettiest girl you've ever met Jared?"

Their faces were mere inches apart as he moved one of his hands from her waist to the back of her neck. "Isn't that one obvious?" He asked as his eyes searched hers.

"Should it be?" She mused, her eyes closing as his hands cradled her head.

"It's **you**, Bella." He whispered before pressing his mouth to hers.

Bella gasped into the kiss, her hips grinding into his. She was so close to the edge, she only needed that something extra to push her over it. She moaned when she felt his hands run over her chest, feeling her though the material of her top. Her mouth was torn from his as her head tilted backward. Jared took it as an invitation to attack the skin of her neck with his lips. He smirked against the silky column her flesh when she all but whimpered his name.

"Damn woman. You're so sexy. Do you know what you do to me?" He whispered into her ear. "I think about you, _every night_... how you'd feel under me. How you'd look riding me. What it would feel like to be behind you… inside of you… to fuck you until you scream my name… until you can't scream anymore." His husky voice wove through her body, sending shock waves of pleasure to her already soaked pussy.

Her body shivered as she exploded against him. "Jared…" She whimpered pressing her hips harder against his. She watched him, in awe of the gorgeous specimen of male beneath her, as he followed her over the edge without having laid a single hand on him.

When their breathing had calmed down, they both shared a laugh. "It's uh… I haven't… **wow**… I feel like a teenager all over again." He muttered.

Bella blushed while trying to bury her face into his shirt. "Yeah… I uh… that's a first for me… I've never… _done something _like that."

He tilted her chin up and ran his thumb over her lips and out to brush her cheek. "Go out with me this weekend. We can head over to Bremerton for the day. There's an ice skating rink…I know you said you wanted to do that. We could get some lunch and then come back here for dinner and a movie…"

Bella grinned. "I think it sounds perfect, Jay. I haven't gone ice skating in a while though, so… promise not to laugh at me?"

He smiled and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Never. I'll catch you before you fall." He promised before bringing her lips down to his.

"And what happens if you fall first?" She teased.

Jared smirked. "I guess I'll just have to be your cushion." He teased back. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment... I uh... can I use your bathroom?" He asked. He grinned when she merely pointed down the hallway.

Bella laughed. "You know something? I think you and I will get along just fine."

"I think we already **do **get along just fine." He snickered. He only prayed that she'd started falling as hard for him as he was for her.

Bella yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder. She turned the TV on and they settled on watching a marathon of Ink Master. "Sleep." She muttered.

An hour later Paul and Sam came to check on Jared. When they got no response from him, the figured he'd gone to see Bella. Upon entering her apartment, their eyebrows furrowed. Her TV was on, but no other sounds came from the living room, the kitchen or her bedroom. "Dude… what the **hell**?" Paul muttered.

Sam snickered and pointed over the back of the couch. Paul couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. Bella had fallen asleep sprawled out on top of Jared with her face pressed into his neck. His arm was draped around her waist while the other one covered the hand resting on his chest.

"Soon enough one of us will be inking his neck or chest with her name." He teased nudging Paul.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Maybe. All I know is he's a lot better than the limp dick." He sighed.

Sam nodded. "Come on, we can tease them tomorrow. Jay went through a lot having to listen to that ass." He stopped and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Emily'll kill me if I don't show her evidence."

"Come to think of it, so will Leah." Paul smirked pulling his own phone out to take a picture of the two. He shook his head and turned her TV off before covering them with a blanket. He rolled his eyes when Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

They left the two sleeping and made their way to see Leah and Emily. Snickers were shared and empty threats were made, but overall they were happy to see Bella and Jared gravitating towards one another. All they could say, was it was about time.


	10. Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

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(February)

Bella smiled as her students filed into the classroom after coming back from lunch. With it being valentines day, she could tell they were excited to pass out their valentines before having their party. She and the other second grade teachers were glad the party would be held in the schools cafeteria and was to include all the second graders instead of just doing it room by room. So far things had been going smooth.

"Ok class… 1-2-3, eyes on me please. I want your voices off and your listening ears on please." She waited a beat so the kids could settle. "Here's what we're going to do. I want you all to make your way to your cubbyholes and get your boxes then set them on the corner of your desks. When that's done, I want a hand in the air and you sitting in your seat quiet please."

She smiled when her students complied without fuss and within two minutes all 18 of her students' hands were in the air. Not a sound was heard as they waited for instruction. "Well done. Now… this is how we'll do this. I want the girls to go first. Pass your valentines out and then take a seat. You have five minutes. Go." She nodded her head and the seven girls in her class went to work passing out their valentines. The same was done for the boys and before they knew it, Bella gave them permission to open their boxes and look at their valentines.

"I don't know how you do it Ms. Swan." A voice said from the doorway.

Bella smiled and turned to see the principle Mrs. Johnson standing there. "It's easy. Just engage them, make it a game and they learn. It also helps that these are all good kids."

The principle smiled. "You have someone in the parking lot for you." She said. "Usually I don't interfere, however… I felt that you should come and see what's being done to your car." She said with mirth in her eyes.

"Oh… um… ok." She poked her head into the room next to hers. "Mary, I need to go out to my car quick. Can you watch my class please?"

"Sure, your kids are always good, Bella." It made her smile to hear it. She must be doing something right.

Bella gasped when she walked out to the teachers parking lot. The hood of her candy apple red jeep liberty- her baby- was covered in red and white long stemmed roses to form the shape of a baby white dragon curled up inside of a heart. Standing against the passenger side was her boyfriend of a month with a bouquet of yellow, pink and orange roses. His left foot was propped against the tire and his lips were curved into a playful smirk.

"_Surprise_." Jared said in way of greeting.

Bella couldn't keep the smile off her face as she rushed into his arms. "This is so sweet. Jared, you didn't have to do this!"

"I wanted to do it. A few of your co workers helped me too and the principle okayed for me to be on the property. I wanted to wait until your lunch break, but she said it was close enough now." Jared said with a quick kiss to her lips. "You look beautiful today."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, you know." She teased.

He smirked. "It got me everywhere last night."

Bella smacked his arm. "I have to get back. This was so sweet. It made my day. Thank you."

"Half of this was Sam's idea. He said to show up with the bouquet. But… I wanted to go a step further." He said nodding to the hood of the car. "I got a picture of it too… so if you want to move them, you can."

Bella handed him the flowers back and giggled when he frowned. "Smile so I can take a picture." she explained. "I want one for myself with you standing beside your artwork."

Jared proceeded to give her, what she dubbed a panty dropping smile, and kissed her nearly senseless before releasing her. She made it back just in time to put her roses into some water before it was time to walk her class to the cafeteria. She couldn't erase the smile on her lips for anything and her fellow teachers took note of it.

The questions from her curious co workers were ignored for the rest of the day as the time for the bells to ring drew closer. Before she knew it, Bella moved out to the parking lot, ready to head home to her apartment and relax before her date with her boyfriend. She missed the lanky figure sitting on the hood of a silver Volvo parked beside her.

"Hello Isabella." Edward smirked when she stopped mid stride only a few feet from him.

Bella sighed, her amazing mood dampening. "Oh, I didn't see you Edward. What do **you **want?"

"I came to see if you had thought anymore about my offer. I still want you back." He told her. He was so sure she would have given in by now.

Bella rolled her eyes and pretended to dig through her purse. She found her phone, speed dialed her brother and pretended to bring it out of her purse while looking for her keys. She was careful to never show him the face of the phone. "I need you to leave me alone Edward. I have a boyfriend already and I'm happy with Jared."

"Yes… the _native_. He can't give you too much, Isabella. I can give you money, stability, clothing, jewelry. You'd never have to work again. And you'd be the mother to my children- the children you always told me you wanted."

Bella sneered. "Like I ever wanted money or jewels. I don't have use for fancy dinner gowns, I don't wear layers of make up and I **like **to work. As far as being a mother, Edward… that will come in it's own time. I'm happy right now with what I have and Jared doesn't try to change any of that. I just want to go home to my boyfriend, now Edward. Get out of my way."

He frowned and grabbed a hold of her arm by the crook of her elbow. "Have you fucked him yet? Have you told him where you got so good at sucking dick, Isabella? Does he know that you loved being put on your knees in front of me?" He hissed.

"**Let. Me. Go**. You're _hurting me _Edward." She hissed rising above his childish games. Bella heard a car approaching in the background and shook her phone. She couldn't help but think of the lyrics '_My boyfriends back and you're gonna be in trouble_'.

Anything he'd started to say got interrupted by skidding tires and an engine being killed. "You called your _brother_?" He sneered, squeezing her arm tighter.

Bella huffed trying hard to hide her grimace of pain. "Get **off **of me Edward. I'm tired of your stupid _games_. Any other insults you feel the need to throw at me can be said in front of my brother and my boyfriend." She growled trying to yank her arm from his grasp.

Paul, Sam and Jared were livid as they took a menacing step in Edwards direction. "I would do what she asks." Jared growled. His good mood from earlier in the day had been ruined when he heard Bella telling her ex to yet again leave her alone after she had called Paul's phone.

Edward glared at him for a moment before shoving Bella backwards. If not for Paul waiting to catch her, she would have been knocked down to the waiting concrete. It was a stupid move on his part since Jared saw it for what it was- an attempt to cause bodily harm to Bella. With one well aimed swing, Jared's fist connected with the soft flesh of Edward's jaw.

"That's a warning. Next time I won't let you walk away." Jared snapped when Edward spat blood out of his mouth as well as a loose tooth. He shrugged Sam's hand off of his shoulder before turning his attention to Bella's arm. The marks from Edward's grip had already started darkening due to how easy Bella bruised.

"I'm ok. I promise you, I'm ok." She told him before kissing his cheek.

Paul turned his attention towards Edward then. "You can expect to hear from my father. I don't think he'll take to the fact that you've yet again put bruises on my sisters' arm." He sneered.

Edward was beyond livid. Under normal circumstances, he would have walked away. But in his desperation to win Bella over, he opened his mouth without thinking. "**What **father Paul? **Your **father walked away from you when you were only _three years old_. He **left **you with a mother who had to work so much that she **never **had the time for you. And look at what's become of you. Layered in tattoos with **no **future for yourself." He sneered.

"Paul… walk away. _Come on bro_… just walk away." Sam tried. He knew Edward wanted to push buttons and talking about the way Paul had been abandoned by his father was one of them.

It was Bella, though, who surprised them all by marching up to Edward and landing a solid right hook to his nose. "Do **not **talk about my brother like that again _Edward Anthony Cullen_. You may not **like **him, but you **will **refrain from speaking of things to which you have **no **knowledge. Paul **is **my brother. Maybe not by **blood**, but he's still my brother and you **will **watch how you treat him. Family's **everything **to me, so to insult **him **is to insult **me**." She growled.

"He'll never amount to **anything **Bella! He'll do nothing but drag you down, just like the rest of your family! Come back to me. I can give you **everything**." Edward tried again.

Bella glared. "That **man**, has more going for him right now than you **ever **will in your god awful, **pathetic **excuse of a life. So what if he's covered in tattoos? _He owns a tattoo shop_! He has friends and family who love him! He has a woman standing behind him who loves him for who he is, and he'd **never **betray her with another woman in his bed. Who can you say stands behind you? _Your mother_? _Your sister_? I'd rather take my chances with Lucifer **himself **than have **them **behind me." She hissed.

"Bella… please… I love-" Bella's glare quieted his protests.

"Just leave me alone. You come near me again and it won't be Paul I speed dial. It will be the **police**. And don't think that you can sweet talk the Port Angeles PD out of a restraining order. All I'd have to do would be to bring in witnesses and drop my fathers name." She warned. With that she shoved her way past him to her car, calling Jared to get in too.

Paul and Sam shook their heads while Jared simply stared opened mouthed for a few minutes before following his girlfriend. Edward stood speechless in the deserted parking lot while Bella and her friends left for home and work.

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Jared grinned as they made their way into his apartment. He had never been more turned on than he had been watching Bella defend Paul. He'd been shocked and awed when he watched her ire raise enough to throw a proper right hook before going off on a tangent. He hoped he never had to see that side of her coming after him.

He couldn't help but to tease her in the car the entire way home. Light, lingering caresses to her inner wrist, aimless trails up her inner thigh while she drove had her nearly shaking with tension. It built enough that she wanted to use the elevator by the time she'd parked outside the apartment building.

"You're so evil." She mused when she curled up beside him on his couch.

He grinned. "I am huh?" He snickered before handing her a shot glass filled with her favorite vodka.

"You are. Don't you know by now it's dangerous to tease me? I always get pay back." She whispered, her lips barely touching the shell of his ear.

Jared suppressed a shudder. "You do huh?" He grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist, trapping her against his side.

Bella giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I do." She preened before trailing kisses from his shoulder to his jaw.

"Well, Ms. Swan, what do you intend to do to me? I'm at your mercy." He whispered against her lips.

She grinned and placed her glass down on the coffee table before moving to straddle his waist. "The shirt needs to go." She muttered before bunching it up and smiling when Jared leaned forward to let her remove it.

Every time she saw him without a shirt was like the first time all over again. Her eyes were drawn to the nipple piercing, her fingertips brushing over it in a feather light caress. Her hunger for him grew as she started to trace random tattoos he had inked into his skin.

Jared moaned and leaned forward to capture her lips with his. He smirked when his hands ghosted down her back to rest on the swell of her pert bottom before grinding their hips together. He moaned again when Bella carded her fingers through his short hair before grazing her nails against the skin at the back of his neck. The last time they'd had a chance to be this intimate had been the week after New Years- their first time sleeping together. Once school had started again and businesses had re-opened for regular hours, things became hectic for the couple. They'd had to make due with a few heated kisses or lingering touches; it had been beyond torture for them. Bella felt determined to solve that problem now as she ground herself against Jared's thigh.

"I want you Jay." She whimpered when he pulled away to start unbuttoning her shirt.

"Yeah? How bad babe?" He purred, his eyes blazing with desire as he pulled her shirt from her shoulders.

He left her in just a black lace bra with a heart charm dangling from the center of the fabric. The sales associate in Victoria's Secret had told her that little charms such as the one she had there now were a big hit with boyfriends and husbands. Bella mused that she was 100% right.

Bella smirked when she saw his eyes widen some. She moved to stand in front of him before turning to show off her inked backside- something that always amazed him as well as turned him on too. With a playful gleam in her eyes as she looked over her shoulder at him, she started to undo her slacks and slowly strip them from her body. Jared mused that if she'd failed as a teacher, she would have made one **hell **of a dancer.

"Touch me Jared." Bella purred when her slacks hit the floor. She was left in her black lace bra and a matching black lace thong that had all the blood in Jared's body pumping through him to his now throbbing dick.

Jared took in a sharp breath before pulling her back into his lap with her back to his chest. His left hand gathered her hair and moved it over her shoulder before dropping to pinch a taut nipple through the lace material of her bra.

"Like that baby?" He purred when her back arched.

Bella mewled before reaching back to pull his face closer so she could kiss him. She loved his kisses. The way his lips felt against hers was nearly enough to drive her to orgasm alone. "Please… touch me baby." She whined.

Jared's free hand moved down her body to cup her cloth covered mound- already soaked in anticipation. "Damn baby, you're so wet for me already." He moaned before sucking on the sensitive flesh of her neck just below her ear.

"Jay!" Bella gasped when she felt his fingers running up and down her slit. "Don't tease me please! I need you." She whined.

He inhaled deep at her confession, his lips and teeth working in tandem to mark her neck. He loved the way she felt against him, writhing in pleasure on his lap as his fingers worked back and forth into her soaked core. "Does it feel good babe? Damn but your so fucking sexy like this…. All needy for my cock." He growled.

Bella's hips started to rock against his hand as her head rested back on his shoulder. "Want you… please… don't make me beg… please." She whined.

Jared smirked, loving the way she rocked against his hand. "Ride my fingers baby… you look so good like this." He whispered in her ear.

She was just there, he knew. He could feel her walls begin to spasm as her orgasm drew closer. It took all the willpower he possessed to stop what he'd been doing and move her off of his lap. Before she could protest too much, he gathered into his arms and made his way to the bedroom.

His room itself was her personal favorite room in his apartment. It was all male and so him in her opinion. A California king size bed with a handsome cedar wood head and foot board dominated one side of the room. The matching cedar dresser and night stand were the only other pieces of furniture left in the room save for the flat screen TV resting on his dresser. The sheets on the bed were black and red and the comforter was solid black as well. Bella couldn't help but grin whenever she saw it.

"Jared, I love your room." She muttered in between kisses to his lips and jaw.

He shifted her weight before kicking the door closed with his foot. "You tell me that every time you see it. And if it helps matters, Leah and Emily tell me all the time that I need to tell you to add your own little touches here and there. I guess they know by now you spend every other night in my bed anyway." He said with a cocky grin.

"Sounds like them." Bella mused with a shake of her head. She squealed when he threw her onto the bed. She grinned when he crawled over her body with a predatory look in his eyes.

"Hi baby." He purred.

Bella worried her bottom lip and moved her arms to twine around his neck. "Hey."

"I want you." He moaned as his hips rocked into hers.

She gasped when she felt his jean clad dick against her lace covered pussy. "Want you too." She whimpered.

"Then lets do something about it, hm?" He teased moving to nip at the hickey already on her neck.

Bella moaned and moved her fingers down his body to the button on his jeans. With some difficulty, she removed the jeans from his waist, arching her eyebrow at him when she didn't see any boxers or briefs to remove. A chuckle from Jared had their eyes meeting.

"I always go commando, I told you that. Less laundry for me." He said with a smirk.

Bella nipped his neck. "I'm sure that's the only reason." She teased. She pushed him off of her long enough to reach around behind her and unsnap the hooks that kept her bra in place. When she lay back down, a smirk danced over her lips. "Well?" She arched her back when she felt his hands dancing upwards over her skin.

"Such a tease." He murmured. "Damn you're so gorgeous Bella." He moaned when her bra got pulled from her body. She lay under him in nothing more than a black lace thong with a smile on her face.

His lips teased her body, kissing any place he could reach. For a long while he toyed with her taunt nipples, running his tongue over each pert bud, adding to the pleasurable sensations racing through her body. His fingers tormented her as they moved her thong aside and danced over her clit in tight, slow circles, easing her ever closer to the edge of pure bliss.

"Jared, please. Don't tease me. I can't take it anymore, please baby I need you." Bella was nearly incoherent with a need to feel him. "Please just fuck me."

Jared growled and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "You have no idea how much I love hearing you beg for me. So fucking sexy." He whispered before nibbling on her earlobe. He kissed a trail down her body until he got to the last article of clothing left on her.

He pulled her thong down and off of her hips slow with his teeth. She propped herself up on her elbows to watch him kiss and nibble his way back up her leg. By the time his lips closed over her clit, her legs shook in need and desire.

"Bella, you taste so fucking good baby." Jared moaned as he licked her soaking wet slit from bottom to top and back down again. He smirked when she shivered.

"Jared, please… Mmm… please don't tease me. I wanna cum with you inside me." Bella whined.

"Alright. Alright. Spoil my fun." He teased before crawling off of her to reach into his nightstand drawer. Bella looked confused until she saw the foil packet he came away with in his hands. She smirked when an idea came to her.

"Let me?" She asked taking it from him. She pushed him onto his back before tearing the packet open. With a smirk, she had the condom against her lips and her mouth sliding down over his cock in one fluid movement.

Jared gasped at the unexpectedness of that one action. His entire length had been engulfed down her throat and she hadn't so much as choked once. "Holy fucking shit! Bella!"

She kissed her way up his body stopping to give his nipple ring a gentle tug which caused him to arch into her touch. "Problem?" She asked before sitting up and sinking herself down onto him.

"None at all… oh god…just like that babe…" He whined when she nearly unseated herself from him, pausing with only the tip of his blunt head still inside of her clenching heat.

Bella smirked. "Something wrong baby?" She asked seating herself just as slow.

Jared's head hit the pillow as he watched her. "Would it be bad if I told you I've had a fantasy about fucking my teacher?" He asked groaning when she was fully seated on him again.

Bella laughed and raised her hips, lowering herself ever so slow again. "Not at all. I've got an antique desk in my apartment whenever you want to live that one out babe." She whispered as she leaned over him.

His eyes rolled back into his head at her admission. "Sweet baby fucking Jesus. Baby girl, please don't tease me! God I want you so fucking bad."

Bella smirked. "Such a dirty mouth, Mr. Cameron. I'll give you a warning for now. Any more bad language and I'll have to issue you a detention. Is that understood?" She teased. Her voice held all the authority of a teacher and all the sexiness that Jared had come to love in his girlfriend.

Jared's hands moved to her hips, holding her steady as she built up a hard, fast rhythm. She stopped every so often to swivel her hips or just sit on his lap before starting up a hard, fast rhythm again. His eyes glazed over as pleasure ran wild through his body. A liquid fire danced its way down his spine to pool and simmer in his gut. He watched Bella riding him, watched as her head fell back and her breasts bounced as she raised and lowered herself over him. He shivered and fought to keep his eyes open. Looking down, he made the mistake of watching himself disappear into her each time she moved against him.

"I'm so close… Jay… please!" She whimpered.

He shivered again. The raw need and hunger for him sounded so evident in her voice. He licked his thumb and moved it to her clit as their eyes met. "Cum for me Bella. Come on baby. Let me see you cum." He cajoled, running tight circles around her little button of pleasure.

Bella's head was thrown backwards again, her walls fluttering around his hard length as their hips met in near brutal thrusts. "I-I'm… fuck… Jared!"

His dick was locked in a vice as she was sent head first into a pool of carnal bliss. He watched as Bella's body went rigid before he felt the waves of her release rush over him. Three more thrusts into her near limp body and his own release spilled over into the condom. Her name was on his lips as he came, his back arched off the bed towards her and his hands held her hips to him.

There were a few minutes when he got up, went to the bathroom to discard the condom he had worn and then finally came back with a glass of water for them to share. She merely smiled and dragged him back to her side. They let the stillness of the apartment wash over them in a blanket of comfortable quiet.

"You're so beautiful." He said after a few minutes of peaceful silence as she started to drift off to sleep.

Bella smiled and opened her eyes to look up at him. "You're hot too, Jay."

"You think so?" He teased.

"No. I know so." She said kissing him over his heart.

He smiled and cuddled her to him. "Move in with me Bella."

Bella sat up and looked down at him with a curious face. "What?"

"Move in with me. It's two doors down from one another. We wouldn't have to worry about sleeping in different beds since I'm always over there anyways or your always over here. We'd sleep a lot better than what our couches could afford us I'm sure." He mused.

Bella bit her lip and thought about it. "We HAVE known each other for the better part of 11 months even if we did dance around one another for the first two months or so…. It's not like you'd ever try to hurt me…and truth be told, I'm falling head over heels for you."

Jared grinned. "You are huh."

"Yeah. I am…in answer to your question… Alright. Yeah." She told him with a grin of her own.

His eyes lit up with happiness. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I've got a friend I can sublet my apartment to until the lease is ready to be renewed. She's been looking for a place of her own. After she moves in I'm all yours. It should only take a couple weeks, I'm sure she'd take the offer." She smiled and cuddled up to him, her head resting over his heart.

He kissed her head and let the silence lull him into a peaceful sleep. They drifted in the sandman's embrace oblivious to their friends texts and calls. They could wait until morning. If it was important, they would show up at his door. Paul and Sam both had a spare key each to Jared's apartment and Jared knew Paul had a spare key to his sisters apartment as well.

Jared's final thoughts were to thank the spirits for guiding him to Bella. She had become something good in his life when he'd started to think that he would be stuck with everything bad for a long while yet. He couldn't have been more thankful for her patience, her understanding, her wisdom… her love. He vowed that he'd do everything he could to try and be worthy of this great and wonderful gift. With that, his eyes closed and he fell into slumbers awaiting arms.


	11. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:** _WARNING_: tear jerker..

A couple songs that had me inspired to write some of this…

"This Life Would Kill Me" By Thompson Square… it's incredible!

"I'll Walk" by Bucky Covington… amazing song full of determination…

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Chapter 10

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( **Starts **in March)

***Memory/ Flashback***

_Bella moaned and raced towards the bathroom just in time to relieve her stomach of the contents from her dinner the previous night. It was the second week in a row she had woken up this way. To say she'd started to worry was an understatement. From behind her she heard a sigh before Jared lifted her hair from her face, rubbing soothing circles against the smooth skin of her back._

"_Still think you're ok baby girl?" He asked with worry in his voice._

"_I think it's time to make an appointment with my doctor. Little brats in school got me sick!" She grumbled._

_Jared smiled and kissed the crown of her head. "You think you can stand up yet?"_

_Bella whimpered and shook her head. "Still queasy." _

_He nodded. "I'll be right back." He said leaving only to return with a glass of water to rinse her mouth with and a few saltine crackers._

"_Before you ask, my mom used to get sick a lot in the winter time because she worked with the public. She told me once that she always carried some crackers in her purse with her because it settles the stomach." He told her with a small smile. _

_She met his smile with one of her own and rinsed her mouth before nibbling on a cracker. "How'd I get so lucky?"_

"_You opened your door." He teased. _

_She offered him a weak laugh as she stood on shaky legs. It had become a running joke between them. People would ask them how they met and Jared would regale them with the story of receiving her mail mixed in with his, and how one day, he braved the fear of an unknown neighbor to return it to her. To hear him tell it, it was love at first sight. Now, a month after moving in with him, she was still content and feeling blessed for once in her life._

"_I don't want to go to work. But I can't just stay here all day with just a stomach bug." She whined._

"_Lucky for you baby girl, you're hot. Let me call in sick for you. It's still early enough they can get you a sub. You've never called in sick before so they should understand." Jared said before sweeping her up into his arms, cradling her to him as he made his way to the bed._

"_Mmm. Phone's on the nightstand. Press 3." She muttered, already half asleep again._

_Jared shook his head and smiled. The little waif of a woman in his arms could have told him to walk through fire and he would have done so. Not even Kim had had that kind of unseen power over him. He called her school, explained what had happened and told them he would keep her in bed until she could get her illness under control. From there he called Paul._

"_Hey man, what's wrong?" Paul asked. Jared heard key clanging against the door as the shop got unlocked._

"_Dude, Bella's sick. I was gonna see if I could stay with her today. She's running a fever and she's throwing up again this morning." Jared sighed._

"_Still?! It's been what, like two weeks!" _

"_I know. Look… I'm making an appointment for her… if I can get one today, we'll know what's wrong. Somehow I don't just think this is the flu."_

_Paul could hear the worry in his voice. "Alright dude. Just keep me in the loop. Take tomorrow off too. Bella is stubborn enough that she'll try to do stuff on her own if your gone."_

_Jared laughed. "Been there, done that. I came home yesterday and the woman was on her hands and knees scrubbing the damn bathroom floor." He said with a sigh._

"_Sounds like her." Paul laughed. "Alright. Let me know."_

"_Will do. Thanks man. I owe you." Jared grinned._

"_Whatever dude. I'll collect later. You take care of my baby sister." _

"_Sure. Later bro." Jared said before ending the call._

_Bella moaned then. "Jay?" _

"_Hey Bella. What's wrong?" He was by her his in a moment. _

_She cracked an eye open to look at him. "I'm cold. Come keep me warm!" Bella whined._

_Jared smiled and sat down with his back against the headrest. He scrolled through the contacts on his phone until he found the number for his doctors office and turned to Bella. "Who's your doctor again baby?"_

"_Dr. Simmons.." She yawned. It still amazed him that their doctors worked in the same building sometimes._

_He sighed and made the appointment for 10:00 that morning. It gave them little over an hour to sleep, half an hour to get ready and then another 25 minutes to drive to the office itself. "Come on baby girl. Lets get you dressed. You feeling queasy still?"_

"_No, just achy and tired." Bella hated being sick. It wasn't often that it happened, but when she did get sick, it hit her hard._

_Jared slipped from bed and returned a few minutes later with Motrin and glass of water. They settled down to sleep, pausing only when Jared set an alarm for them to be up in plenty of time to dress and get ready to go._

_She smiled at him, and with his help, got dressed before making it safe to the car. The trip to the doctors office was filled with content silence as Bella rested with her head against the window. Once they'd parked, Jared helped her inside and checked her in, taking her hand in his while they waited. _

_When her name was called he smiled and stayed sitting until she turned to him. "Aren't you coming?"_

_He smiled. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me to or not. I didn't want to step on your toes."_

_Bella smiled and held her hand out for him. The nurse, the same one Bella saw each time she came to the doctor gave her a warm smile. She was one of three nurses so she remembered each patient with relative ease. She made small talk and showed them to a room to take her vitals._

"_What was the date of your last period?" It was a routine question, and Bella should have been able to answer it. Only, she couldn't remember._

"_Um…I don't… I mean… I can't remember right now." She told her. Jared frowned. When the nurse left, he turned on her._

"_What's wrong Bella. Talk to me. You look like you're going into shock." _

_Bella took a deep breath and prepared herself. "I think I know what's wrong… I'm think I might be pregnant." She whispered it and looked away from him biting her lip against the sting of rejection she was sure would come._

_Jared watched her shoulders sag and puzzled over it. "You're not happy about it?" He asked._

_Her head shot up to look at him. "I-I… aren't you m-mad?"_

"_Baby girl. If it turns out that you ARE pregnant… we'll deal with it. I love you Bella. This will just be another reason to love you. You'd be giving me a child." He grinned and kissed her cheek. "But first we need to get you better. So no more tears."_

"_You love me?" She asked._

_Jared kissed her head and grinned. "Yes. I love you, you silly woman."_

"_I love you too, Jay. Sorry if I freaked you out." She told him._

_He shrugged. "I think one of the condoms broke on us before the birth control had a chance to start working." He mused._

"_It's possible. But that would also mean I was already pregnant before we moved in together too. I didn't start my new birth control until January." She frowned trying to think. She sighed and leaned her head onto his shoulder. _

"_I'm here for you." He promised. _

_Bella smiled and got through her doctors appointment with much lighter shoulders. Jared had proven to her that he was the man she wanted to spend forever with in that small little room. The doctor had confirmed their suspicions as well as telling her that she did indeed have the flu which caused the burning fevers and the majority of upset stomachs. He gave her a low dose antibiotic, told her to eat dry toast or saltine crackers to help with her stomach upset, and told her that if she needed anything else to call back for another appointment. _

_When they made it back to their apartment, Bella called Leah and Emily asking if they could come to the reservation over the weekend coming. When they confirmed, she hung up and called her brother and Sam. They confirmed as well and left her to call her dad and her uncle. They both promised to stave off of their fishing trip with Harry Clearwater and Josh Uley. Jacob, likewise had also promised to stay home since Bella and Jared wanted to visit and would be bringing good news with them. Bella couldn't wait to see everyone's faces._

*End Memory/ Flashback*

"Come on man, you've got to eat something. You've been here all night again."

"I can't leave her. I about lost her once already. What if she wakes up and I'm not here?"

"Come one dude, at least go get a drink. We're all here. If she wakes up we'll tell her where you went. You're not going to do anyone any good like this, much less her."

"Yeah… I guess… guys, please… don't tell her about the baby unless she asks."

"You know we would never do that to either one of you."

All she heard were voices. She was surrounded by a blanket of dark, oppressive nothingness. There were times she could pick up different sounds- machines beeping, monitors chirping, the thudding of her own heartbeat, people knocking on doors- but she didn't want to try and wake herself to find out just how right she was. At least, not until she had heard those voices. Not until she had heard that conversation. Everyone seemed so sad. Why were they sad about the baby now? They had been happy before about Jared and she being pregnant. What had changed?

Something was wrong.

With a great amount of effort Bella's eyes opened marginally, her blanket of darkness slipping away. Her mind was a garbled mess of memories and faces and voices. She couldn't figure out where she was at the moment. Nothing looked familiar to her. All she saw was white walls before her focus settled on various cords and tubes surrounding her person. She heard a quiet gasp from somewhere to her left and tried to turn her head as far as she could towards the noise.

"Oh god, Bella. You're awake!" Bella frowned. She knew that voice.

"Daddy?" Her voice was rough, her throat scratchy as if she had just woken from a night of sleep.

"Shh. Don't try to talk just yet. Take a sip of water." Another voice instructed. She knew that one too.

"Mom?" She tried to think about it, but her mind drew a blank. When had her mom come to visit? She wasn't due until Summer time for her uncle Billy's birthday.

"Jacob, go get a nurse. Tell them she's awake." Bella was confused. Why did all these voices sound so familiar to her?

"Uncle Billy?" Why couldn't she remember anything?

Bella frowned as the faces of her family came into view. Her mom and Phil, her dad and Hailey, her uncle Billy, Jacob, even Paul. She tried hard to remember what had happened. Something big had to have happened to her. She knew enough to know she'd woken up in a hospital- judging by the wires and the dreary white walls.

"Where am I?" She wondered. She watched as her family shifted uncomfortably.

Paul came to her rescue. "You don't remember anything do you?" He asked her.

Her mind raced to think of anything. She gasped and jerked up as a blinding beam of light flashed in her mind. "Jared!"

"Hey… shh… easy… calm down, Bella. It's ok. He's alright." Her uncle's crooning voice flooded through her, easing her panicked nerves. "We sent him to get something to eat. Poor man has hardly left your side since you were brought in here."

Jacob smiled having come back nearly as soon as he'd left. The nurse he'd talked to promised the doctor would see Bella when he was available. "It's kind of sickening. Bella… you went and got a puppy…. You could have dated Embry if you wanted one of those. You said it yourself, he's nothing but an overgrown lap dog." His joking and teasing earned the desired smile as Bella finally relaxed.

"Yeah, I'll pass. Embry's nothing more than a good friend. I have Jared and…." She started to panic for a different reason as soon as she looked down at her body. There should have been more monitors on her stomach. She didn't feel any at all, nor did she hear a second heart beat in the room. This time

Renee and Hailey shoved the men aside in order to calm her panic. They stood on either side of her, each woman knowing what now raced through her mind.

"_The baby_?" She asked looking at both women.

"No sweetie… I'm so sorry." Renee told her. "Something happened in the accident. The man who hit you hit you in such a way that it's a miracle you and Jared survived at all. You were trapped… pinned when the front end was crushed. Baby… I'm so sorry."

Hailey's eyes welled with unshed tears. "You had everyone so scared. They got you stabilized in the ambulance, but… they found something when they got you into a room… you lost the baby an hour after being here. Jared was so scared he'd loose the both of you. Paul told me he and Sam had never seen him like that. He dropped to his knees then and there and promised the spirits he'd go in your place if they'd save you."

Paul placed a hand on her knee. "They heard Jared, Bells. They didn't save you both, but they **did **save you."

Tears clouded in her eyes as the news of her unborn child's passing fell over her mind. They'd only just found out they would be parents. They had both been so happy. Jared's eyes had glowed with pride as they had told everyone. While they were shocked at first, they'd all celebrated together offering congratulations while Emily and Leah both squealed and made plans right away for a nursery in Jared's two bedroom apartment.

"Jake, Paul… go get Jared. Let him know she's awake." Billy commanded. They both nodded and took off down to the cafeteria.

"What did I do wrong? Why did the spirits take my baby?" Bella wondered.

Billy sighed and shared a pained look with the other adults in the room. He placed a strong hand on Bella's leg and started singing an old Quileute lullaby to her. The same one he had sung to his children to quiet their tears when they'd been toddlers running about his knees. Hailey and Renee added their voices as well offering thanks for keeping Bella safe while they sang.

Renee brushed a stray piece of hair from Bella's eyes and smiled while Billy and Hailey continued to sing. "Sometimes… sometimes we don't get to choose who stays with us and who leaves. All I know, is that the spirits kept you alive when you all should have died, baby. You get to live again, and maybe when you're healed you'll know the feeling of having a child call you mommy. It's painful, but I thank the spirits for saving you when I could have lost all three of you." She said. She had come to see Jared as a son in law and Bella gave her a watery smile to show her appreciation of the acknowledgement.

"Bella?! Oh god! Baby you're awake!" Jared had tears in his eyes as he looked at her talking to her mom. While he still had bruises on his body and his arm was in a cast, he'd been lucky to walk after the way the car had rolled them both.

Bella smiled when she saw him in the door way. "Jared." She whispered.

Jared moved to sit beside her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "I was so scared I'd never get to see those amazing eyes again. Thank the spirits I can." He cooed while staring in her eyes.

"How long have I been here?" She shifted to look up at him before looking around at her family.

Charlie sighed. "It's been five weeks. It's the first week of May now princess. Do you remember what happened?"

"Bits and pieces. I see mostly bright flashes before everything goes blank." She grimaced.

Jared sighed. "We were on the way home from a visit with your dad. He got down your old nursery room furniture. Remember?"

"Yeah… we- we were stopped at a red light…right?" She frowned, wishing she could remember everything.

Jared nodded. "Yeah… it had just turned green for us. By the time I saw it, it was too late to swerve. Paul and Sam were right behind us… they called it in but my car… the truck driver that hit us was well over the legal alcohol limit. We got rolled over at least seven times before slamming into a light pole clear on the other side of the road according to officers and EMT's. They told me there was no way the baby could have survived the trauma but they had hope. By the time you were brought in… baby girl I'm so sorry. I wish it had been my side to get hit… things might have turned out different.."

Jacob and Paul looked away and swallowed back tears. The parents in the room had to fight back sobs as Bella and Jared grieved for the loss of life they had never known. Not being able to take it, Jacob excused himself to see if a doctor was available to come and talk to Bella.

Within ten minutes, a knock sounded on the metal door frame. "Good afternoon Ms. Swan. It's good to see you awake." Her doctor told her.

Bella smiled. "Yeah… I feel like I've been sleeping way too much."

"Well, five weeks of beauty sleep can do that to a woman I suppose. How do you feel? Is your pain tolerable?"

"I don't hurt too bad, my back tingles. My shoulder is sore. And my stomach…" She looked away having to stop or else the tears threatened to fall non stop.

Her doctor smiled in understanding. "It's alright. I'm worried though. You said your shoulder and your back and your stomach are sore, yes?" He made some notes on her chart when she nodded. "If I may…" He moved to her bedside pushing Renee back against Phil and Hailey against Charlie. He raised her blanket so that one of her legs was bared and did his best to hide the skin from Bella's eyes.

She gasped when she saw her leg. It was bruised and the stitches made her think of the Frankenstein monster. She also noticed the frown on the doctors face when he poked and prodded at her. "What's wrong?"

"Do you have any kind of pain in your leg Bella?" He asked.

"No… no pain… but it tingles where you touch." She said, not missing his deep frown.

"How about here?" He asked her, hitting a tender spot on her hip.

Bella hissed as pain raced up her spine. She shook her head no when he touched a part on her thigh telling him she could just barely feel it. She watched as he touched a few more places on her leg before touching the same spots on her less injured leg. While she could feel all of those spots more clearly, the pain just wasn't registering as well as it should have.

The doctor looked relieved. "Well, that's something we can work with then. It's better than I had feared. We'll have to run some more tests, but it looks like you'll be able to walk again." He promised.

Bella cried as he went on to tell her that because of the way the car had pinned her against the light pole, she'd broken her leg in such a way they'd had to do intensive repair surgery and had to place a steel rod into her leg where part of her thigh bone had shattered. Her hip had also been broken from the impact as well. It was a miracle she could feel anything at all in either of her legs and to be on the safe side, he wanted to put her through a physical therapy course to help strengthen her leg as well as her other muscles that hadn't been used in nearly a months time.

Jared squeezed her hand when the doctor left. "We'll get through it. I'm not going anywhere baby girl. We're gonna make it through this." He promised her.

"I'll be ok baby. Just please, don't let me fall. Don't let go of my hand, ok?" Bella whispered.

They were oblivious to everyone else in the room as they whispered to one another. Sweet promises made of a life after she was released from the hospital. Paul only smiled. He raised his head and thanked the spirits for saving his sister. He thanked them for allowing Jared and his sister to find one another. He asked them to always let them live together happy. For once, the spirits had gotten it right, so he mused.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

Ok, this chapter is a little different… Each separate month is a collection of flashbacks from either Bella or Jared or both of them. It's the time spent as Bella heals. The last part- November brings everything back to the forefront of the story… so… HOPEFULLY it's not that hard to follow. If it is, I apologize ahead of time.

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Chapter 11

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_**(May)**_

_Bella gasped as she woke herself from her nightmare. Jared moved to her side in an instant, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand. His other hand wiped away the tears that fell down her cheek._

"_Are you ok." He whispered to her. "Do you need anything?"_

_Her eyes closed and she shook her head. "I will be." _

"_They told us they didn't think you'd wake. Your body was healing… they even took you off of the breathing machines because you started breathing on your own after the second week here… your mind just refused to come back." He whispered, his own tears threatening to drop._

"_I heard you. It sounded like being covered in a thick blanket… and then having someone talking close to you while you're under the water. I just didn't understand why I couldn't answer." She tried to tell him._

_Jared smiled and kissed her hand. "I don't know if I want to think about what could have happened… they said… I think I'd die."_

"_I'm so sorry, Jay." She whispered, tears in her eyes. "We don't have our baby. I couldn't keep it."_

_He shook his head and put a finger to her lips. "I'm not. I have you. I don't know if I would have had a son or a daughter, but I __**do **__know that I still have you. And when it's time, the spirits will give us the baby we both want. You didn't do anything wrong." He promised her._

_Bella smiled. "How did I ever get so lucky?" She wondered._

"_You opened the door, baby girl." He said with a quiet chuckle._

_She sighed and gave him a weak smile. The medicine in her body already causing her to become tired again. "Don't leave me, Jay. I need you."_

"_I'll be here. I promise."_

_She knew he'd be willing to keep it. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she ever lost him. She didn't want to pursue the terrifying thoughts. With a final sigh, she allowed sleep to take her into it's gentle embrace again. This time as she slept, she wasn't afraid the nightmares would haunt her dreams again. Jared would be there to chase them away._

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(**June**)

_Jared, Paul and Jacob made their way to the elevator ignoring the giggling nurses that sat behind the nurses station in the main entrance of the Olympic Medical Center trying to catch their eye. The women always frowned when they paid them no mind and only stopped on occasion to see if Bella had been moved yet. It had happened only twice; they had moved Bella to a different room due to need for the one she was in and had neglected to tell her family. After the last time Jared had raised holy hell, it hadn't happened again._

_When they reached the third floor, they stepped off the elevator and made their way to the nurses station to ask about Bella. Predictably, the same sweet, helpful strawberry blonde nurse- Alyssa was her name- greeted them with a smile. "Hello boys. How are you today?"_

_Paul smiled. "Hey Alyssa. How's our girl doing?"_

"_She driving you crazy yet?" Jacob teased giving her an easy smile._

_Alyssa laughed heartily. "Not yet. She's a sweetheart. She's stubborn as an ox and has been telling us all that she'll be leaving here next month."_

_Jared grinned. "That's my girl. I just hope she keeps up that attitude. She's going to need it." _

_Alyssa smiled and gave him a knowing look. "I'm not going to lie. It's going to be rough on her. She's going to have to retrain herself to walk again. But, I've seen you three in here every day for the past month now. You two," She said pointing at Jacob and Paul, "stay from the start of visiting hours to the end. And you, Jared, you stay all day long when you can. You're her support. And as long as she has that, she'll do just fine."_

_Jacob grinned. "Thanks Alyssa."_

"_No problem boys. She should be awake by now. I know she loves seeing you in here. So does a certain co worker of mine, Jacob, come to think of it." Alyssa said with a teasing grin._

_Jacob coughed and looked away with a slight blush. Vanessa was Bella's physical therapist- and Jacob's newest walking fantasy. Paul bumping his shoulder brought him from his thoughts as they walked down the hall to Bella's room. _

_They found Bella sitting up waiting for them with a smile on her face. So far, she was still optimistic and her pain was manageable today. She'd only just started though, and she had a long ways to go._

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(**July**)

_Jared sighed as he watched Bella's napping form. He had just learned that the man who hit them had been paid by a woman named Victoria. She had been Edward's lover before he broke up with her to once again pursue Bella. The woman had been none too pleased and had found the first expendable thug she could manipulate. _

_Authorities told Charlie Swan that she now sat in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree as well as conspiracy to assault with a deadly weapon resulting in the death of his daughter's unborn child. She'd had the gall to smirk when she'd been shown the accident photos. Jared couldn't have been more horrified that someone would do that just to get revenge on a person. _

_He looked at Bella again and sighed. She slept sound for the moment. Vanessa had just left her room twenty minutes before hand. Bella had been improving, so the doctors told him. Jared was there to help her through the worst of it. He dried her eyes and calmed her fears. He was her solid rock of strength when she felt like giving in to the pain. He didn't want to fail her again._

_He jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Looking up, he gave Paul a tired smile. He turned his attention back to Bella when she sighed in her sleep. They chuckled when a smile flitted across her lips followed by Jared's name whispered into the room._

"_When's the last time you slept bro?" Paul asked after a few moments._

_Jared sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I think I got about four hours last night. I just… Paul… she's…. I don't think I want to let her go…" _

_Paul grinned. "I know. Everyone else can see it too. That's why Sam doesn't say anything when you come here after work instead of going to bed like he wants. He knows if it was Emily, he'd do the same thing. I'd be here too if it was Leah."_

"_How are the girls? They come in at night when I leave, but we don't talk too much. I feel so bad for ignoring them." Jared said with a small frown._

_Paul shook his head. "They'd be more mad if you ignored her. Believe me, they're more than proud of you right now. Sam and I joked that we're going to have to watch it or you'll end up with three girls and we'll be all alone again." _

_Paul's joke worked. Jared grinned at his friend and sighed, thankful for some relief from the tension in his shoulders. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys sometimes."_

"_Things would be more quiet for one." A voice quipped._

_Paul and Jared looked up to see Bella watching them with a smile on her lips. "Hey you. How long have you been pretending to sleep?" Paul asked._

"_Since you started talking to him." She huffed. "And Jay, you need to take better care of yourself!"_

"_I will if you will." He promised her._

"_Alright."_

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(**August**)

_Bella sighed and stared out of the window. A single tear rolled down her face as she thought about the events of yesterday. Vanessa hadn't been there. She'd gone out of town to visit her sister and brand new niece. The man they got to take her shifts had been- in Bella's mind- completely horrid. He'd pushed her beyond what she'd grown used to, and as much as she already pushed herself, it was too much. _

_Jared hadn't been there either. He was supposed to have been, but unbeknownst to either of them, the therapist had changed her slotted time. Instead of going in in the afternoon, it had been in the morning. He'd raised his voice at her when she said she was tired. She ended up breaking down enough that Vanessa's assistant- Mandy- told him off and then wheeled her back to her room._

_She looked to the clock. Jared would be here soon. Make that… now. And he wasn't alone. Bella glared at the therapist as he walked in with Jared not far behind him. Vanessa's assistant was behind them with a scowl on her face as well. When Jared saw who the looks were directed to, his brow furrowed in confusion._

"_Everything alright?" Jared wondered._

_Mandy opened her mouth to speak by was interrupted. "Things are fine. Bella ran into some problems this morning during her therapy session-"_

"_She had a session this morning?! Who authorized that? And why wasn't I called?!" Jared growled._

_Mandy sent Bella a sly sideways wink. She sighed and shook her head. Vanessa would murder Anthony when she came back. Bella had been two steps ahead and now she was four steps backwards. "Perhaps we should let them talk?"_

_Jared watched them leave and turned to Bella. "You ok?" He asked, not liking the way she watched him._

_Bella sighed. "You should be with someone else." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear her._

_His eyes went wide at the same time his jaw dropped in shock. "What'd you say?" _

"_I'm not getting any better. And I don't want you to waste your time." She sighed._

_Jared shook his head and held her hand in his, kneeling beside the bed. "I'm going anywhere and I'm __**not **__letting you give up either." He promised her._

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(**September**)

_Bella smiled and leaned back into the plush cushions of the chair she sat in, a content sigh escaping her lips. She'd been cleared to go back to work part time, and had been with her class in the mornings for a full week already. Jared had been true to his word. He'd stayed with her every day she'd been in the hospital. He'd even told the hospital that if Anthony came anywhere near her again, they'd have to explain just why the man had a shoe stuck up his rear end and two black eyes to the authorities. And that was AFTER the hospital got sued for a great deal of money for their poor treatment of one of its best patients._

_She looked up from the arm chair when the front door opened and gasped. Everyone was here- even Seth, Collin and Brady. They'd all come to see her. She turned to Jared and smiled when she saw him watching her. This was the first time all of her friends had been together in the same room with her since her accident. She had him to thank for that._

_Paul came over and sat beside her. "Hey little B."_

"_Hey Paul." She said with a smile._

_He watched her closely for a minute before letting out a sigh. "He loves you, you know."_

"_I know he does. I'm lucky to have him." She told him._

"_Then why tell him to leave." Paul teased._

_Bella sighed. "Because at the time, I thought he'd want someone better. Someone he could take on dates, and love." She said with a small shrug._

_Paul chuckled. "Bella. He can do that with you. And he does love you already. He's the one guy I WANT to see you date. So… no more breaking his heart… I don't do all that emotional stuff… Sam and I had to ask Emily to drag it out of him. You made him cry, Bells."_

_Bella rolled her eyes. It was said too dramatic and she knew he'd been playing, she knew he meant it too. "Ok. I promise. Now go get Leah. I can't wait to have this brace off for good." She said with a huff of annoyance._

_Paul grinned. "It's only for a while longer."_

_Jared walked over and sat on the floor by her feet. He rested his chin on her thigh and smiled when she carded her fingers through his hair. "I love you Bella." He murmured._

"_I love you." She told him with a smile._

"_Happy Birthday." He grinned._

_Bella smiled. "Best birthday. Ever." She mused._

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(**October**)

_Bella frowned and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't like the outfit she had on and it showed with the way her lip curled. Even her eyes glared at herself in the mirrors' reflection. She turned her attention then when she heard a scoff from behind her._

"_Don't be so hard on yourself, Bella, you look amazing." Leah sighed._

"_Easy for you to say. You're not the one with a ton of scars." She growled._

"_You look fine!" Leah promised her, adding the finishing touches to her own costume- she made for a gorgeous Cleopatra._

_Bella sighed and turned to appraise herself in the mirror again. Her hair had been left down to cover her left eye while the rest framed her face and a pin stripe fedora sat tipped on top of her head. She wore a low cut, v neck, pin striped shirt that bared nearly four inches of skin at the bottom. She wore a low rise, pin stripe, gartered skirt that attached to thigh high fish net stockings. Black and white four inch stiletto heels completed the outfit- much to Bella's displeasure._

_Emily chuckled from the doorway. Her costume was less elaborate than her friends, but no less fitting. She'd always loved wolves, and now she dressed in a daring Red Riding Hood costume. Bella leveled a glare her way through the mirror and huffed. Emily merely smirked._

"_I told you, Jared will die when he sees you." She said with a grin as Leah applied a bold red coat of stain to Bella's lips._

"_And Sam won't die when he sees you?" Leah teased._

_Bella rolled her eyes. "Like Paul won't drool over you. Unless you kill him first." Bella quipped with her own grin on her lips._

_They shared a laugh and stepped out of the bedroom. She and Jared told their friends they'd host the Halloween party, eager to find a way to have something normal after the months of pain and stress. Paul, Sam and Jared had even promised to dress up as the counterpart to whatever character the girls chose for them. Paul was Alexander to Leah's Cleopatra. Sam was the hunter to Emily's Red Riding Hood. And Jared…_

_Bella stood frozen in the entrance to the living room taking in the delicious sight of her boyfriend. He stood dressed in a tight black button down dress shirt with pin strip pants and a pin stripe vest to go with it. His outfit accented his toned form with near sinful perfection. She licked her lips as he stood watching her, desire smoldering in his eyes. He wore a panty melting smirk, letting it dance over his lips. The silver tie he wore matched the silver pin stripe fedora that sat tilted on his head. _

"_Breathe girl. Just breathe," Leah murmured before moving to join Paul and talk to their friends. _

"_Come on Bella. You'll be fine." Emily patted her shoulder and eased herself into Sam's arms giving him a gentle kiss._

_Their friends watched the pair through the night. Most had heard that Bella had tried to shove him away at one of her lowest points. They didn't understand why she would want him to go, but seemed sympathetic when they heard her reasons. In her own twisted way, she thought she would be freeing him of a burden. They had all heard of his steadfast and unwavering devotion to her though, and smiled when they saw the two together and happy again. Seeing Jared catering to her every need- even when she didn't know she needed it- made them all see theirs was a love made to last anything._

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(**November**)

"You nervous?"

"Maybe. Do you think she'll say no?"

"To you?"

"She's tried to shove me away once already… it's crossed my mind."

"I think she'll cry. And then she'll be yours for the rest of your lives."

The cashier behind the counter cooed at the conversation between the two strangers in front of her. One of them wanted to propose. She rang up their totals and handed the taller of the two their change, wishing them a good day. She sighed and wished she could find someone who looked like that.

For their part, Sam and Jared didn't look twice at the teenager behind the counter of the gas station they had stopped in at to get their coffee. They had to open the shop while Paul took Bella to her final appointment. Jared hadn't even asked for the time off, even though it had been offered. Bella understood. Jared loved his work, but he loved her more. He also knew that through the months of Bella being in the hospital, he'd put a lot of weight on his friends shoulders. He wanted to try and take some of it back onto his own now that she was on the mend.

The truck was parked and they were in through the back door setting up for the day before either of them realized it. Sam sighed and looked at Jared, eying him. "When do you plan on asking her?"

"Soon. Maybe at Billy's Christmas party. I have to talk to Charlie first. I want to do it right."

"He'll say yes for sure. He's just like Paul and I." Sam grinned.

"I hope so. After all this… it's not like anything much can tear us apart."

Sam rolled his eyes. "You're putting a lot of pressure on Paul and I, you know that right?" He teased.

"You asked Emily on the beach at sunset. If I remember right, it was the exact spot you met her at… right?" He quipped.

"True. But she loved it." Sam grinned.

"And Paul proposed on valentines day **after **inking Leah's name into his chest. If I remember correct **you **drew that one for him." Jared grinned.

Sam laughed. "Ok, ok, I get it. I get it. You won't outshine us. Not unless it's a perfect moment." He grinned with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"I already have it planned out I just… if I ask you guys to do something for me, would you do it?" He wondered.

Sam tilted his head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"My grandma's ring needs to be cleaned and resized. I kind of hoped Emily or Leah would tell me her ring size so they can work on it in the store. But, do you think you could pick it up for me?" Jared wondered.

"I'll take Paul with me when I go. Just let me know when." He told him without hesitation.

Jared's reply was cut off by his phone ringing. "Speaking of the devil." He muttered putting the phone on speaker. "Hey, Paul, you're on speaker."

"Wrong guess baby. But it's still good news." An amused voice sounded.

"Hey baby girl. Where's your phone?"

"It died on the way over here. I forgot to charge it last night."

Sam grinned. "That's so you. So what's up little B?"

They could picture her bouncing with excitement. "I got the brace off and I'm good to go back to work full time!" She squealed.

"Baby! That's awesome!" Jared said, his eyes dancing with pride. Sam was humbled to see the love his best friend had for his girl. It was a sight he thought he'd never see again.

"What about your appetite. What'd they say?" Jared asked.

They heard Paul scoff in the background. "They upped the dosage of the meds I'm on now and told me to give it time to work through and that the nausea should go away." She said with a small sigh.

"We'll get there baby girl. I promise." The ding of the doorbell overhead signaled to them there was someone in the front of the store. "I gotta go beautiful. I'll see you at home tonight."

"I love you Jay. Have a good day handsome." She told him before ending the call.

Jared grinned and put his phone back in his pocket before schooling his features into that of the gruff tattoo artist they all knew him to be. Inside, he counted down the hours until he saw Bella again.


	13. Chapter 12

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Chapter 12

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(December)

Bella sighed and leaned back against the plush cushions of the leather couch where she sat. When she'd moved in with him, they decided that all her furniture- save for the bookshelves and knickknacks- would be put in storage in her dad's garage so that her friend could decorate the apartment however she chose. Jared's masculine apartment had been transformed a week later into a more homey place with a definite woman's touch. It was still classy, but there was definite evidence that a woman now shared his personal space.

She smiled as she graded another math test. It had been seven long and hard months since the car accident that had taken away her unborn child. For six months that followed, Jared had gone with her to every physical therapy appointment, even held her hand while she sat through the follow up doctors appointments. He held her at night when she cried and helped her into the showers and baths on the nights she was just too tired to do it for herself. He had proven to her that she could rely on him, and their relationship- a bonded gift from the spirits they both believed in- only strengthened because of it.

Bella looked up when she heard keys in the door lock. She smiled when she saw Jared coming in with a bag of food in one hand and their mail in the other. Behind him were their best friends, all of whom greeted her as they walked in with Paul closing the door behind him.

"Hey baby. Do you need any help?" She asked making to stand.

"No, I'm alright. Sit down babe. I'll bring dinner to us after I get the plates." He said before leaning over the back of the couch for a kiss.

A gagging noise behind them had Bella giggling. "Shut it, you." She told Leah.

Leah schooled her features into the picture of innocence. "I didn't do anything!"

"You always do something! Geez, don't try that innocent act. And Bella! It's Winter Break! You're working still?" Emily huffed before leaning down to kiss Bella's cheek.

Bella giggled. "Uh huh. I want to get these graded and out of the way now so I don't have to worry about it when school starts again."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Typical."

"I agree though Bella. You're pushing yourself again. Work's not going anywhere." Sam teased.

"So what brings you guys here?" She asked. She ignored their barbs much to their amusement.

Sam grinned. "We missed you. Now that you've been back in school for the last couple months since the therapist cleared you. How are you?"

"It still hurts every so often. I was told I have to walk with a cane until New Years, but I'm ok. I've been given a full bill of recovery." She said with a smile when Jared handed her a plate. "OH wow! Em… Lee… you guys.. This tastes **amazing**!" She moaned.

Paul shook his head. "Glad you're eating again. Did they change your meds?"

Jared pulled a face and Bella huffed. "After what… a month of them telling me it was just adverse affects?"

Emily shook her head. "I'm surprised they didn't listen to all your concerns. Then again, the doctors in hospitals are awful anyway."

"Not all of them are bad. But from the sounds of it, Bella's doctors were kind of rotten." Sam said.

Jared nodded. "Yeah. About that. I finally went with her and made them listen to reason." He grinned.

"Yeah… threatening to '_beat the fuck out of the next person to tell his woman that she just needs to adjust to the medicine_' did it. They got doctor Simmons to come in and take a look at me. As my primary doctor, he knew how much I should weigh versus what I do. He changed the meds then and there. Jared just smirked at the doctors in the hospital and said as calm as could be, 'thank you for listening' before he walked out behind me."

Emily grinned. "Well, I'm glad you're able to eat now."

Leah snickered. "Bella, if you get rid of him, I'll kick your ass. This one's a keeper."

Sam and Paul clapped Jared on the back. They were both pleased to learn that Bella had him in her corner rooting for her when she was too tired to do it on her own. Paul had been surprised to learn that in one of Bella's darker months she'd tried to break up with Jared- to free him from the burden of a crippled girlfriend. Jared shocked them all when he simply told her to shut the hell up and just like that, they were right back on the same track.

"Hey, Jay, come talk to me for a sec?" Paul asked nodding towards the kitchen.

Sam rolled his eyes. 'Smooth.' He mouthed. Leah and Emily saw it and bit back amused snickers.

Jared grinned and clapped Sam on the shoulder. "Come get a beer Sam. I've got to do dishes. I'll be back in a few baby girl."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, ok. I've got Leah and Em. Have fun bonding over beer and cars." She teased.

Paul shook his head and followed Jared and Sam into the kitchen. "First off, I just want to say thank you. Second off… here." He set a black velvet box down on the counter in front of Jared.

"Why thank me Paul? I should be the one thanking you." Jared said looking to Sam for some kind of help. Sam merely shrugged.

"I'm thanking you for making her happier than I've ever seen her. You stuck with her through this… and… I mean… I know Sam never told you much about high school… but… seeing her again like that… for the same thing… then to hear that… that she might not have woken up… most guys would have cut their losses and walked away." Paul said with a small sigh.

The silence was thick for a few minutes as they all tried to get the thoughts of what Bella had looked like in the hospital out of their heads. Jared finally closed his eyes, shook his head to clear it and started loading dishes into the dishwasher.

"Did they give you guys any hassle?" He wondered. There was, after all, precious cargo in that box.

Sam shook his head. "Not a lot. They tried to say it couldn't be resized because it was so old and it had been resized once already, but a look from Paul had the guys in the back scurrying to do as he wished."

Jared snickered. "Why can I see it happening?"

"Cause I'm a scary dude." Paul grinned.

"No… that's not it… what was it again Sam?" Jared mused.

Sam smirked. "He's the jolly green giant." He quoted Bella before he started snickering.

Paul rolled his eyes. "yeah, yeah. Laugh it up fuckers."

Jared shook his head and opened the box. His grandmother's ring sat proudly on display in the center. The band was even polished as well as the gems. He had given it away once before and his grandmother had shown him from her place in the heavens that his choice had been wrong. He only prayed that this time, he would be allowed to keep Bella in his life.

"You good bro?" Paul wondered.

Jared nodded. "Bella… she's… things were never like this for me and Kim." He said. "Your sister's definitely something special."

Sam grinned. "That's Bella for you. She's always been able to draw people to her. And I've never liked a single one of the guys she's brought around before now. None of her friends have."

"Gee… thanks." Jared huffed.

Paul snickered. "Before you at any rate. I overheard Embry and Quil betting how long it would take for you to ask her."

"I talked to your dad last night…. Won't be too much longer now." Jared told them.

"How'd that go?" Paul and Sam asked at the same time.

Jared smiled. "Have you ever heard a country song called Stealing Cinderella?"

"Bella loves that song." Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, it's about how I can describe it. And Bella still doesn't know. So try not to say anything just yet. I told him I wanted to wait for the Christmas party at Billy's house next week… he's completely cool with it, so no saying anything before then to her!" He huffed.

Paul grinned and held his hands up in a placating gesture. Sam was quick to make his own promises of secrecy- again- before they made their way back to the girls. Bella smiled when she saw them coming back.

"Took you long enough. I thought I'd have to send Leah and Emily to drag you back to us." Bella teased.

Jared grinned and lifted her off the couch into his arms before situating her in his lap. He chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him. They settled on a movie as Bella finished eating. She relaxed against Jared's chest and sighed in utter contentment when he wrapped his arms around her. By the time the movie was over, Bella had passed out in the warmth of his arms and the comfort of friends and family around her.

( ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~)

Charlie sighed and paced back and forth- yet again- in Billy's living room. He ignored the curious glances he received from his friends' children and told Harry and Billy where they could shove it when they started to snicker. Bella and Jared would be arriving soon and he was anxious to see her reaction to Jared's early Christmas gift.

"Will you tell us what has you so upset?" Hailey asked with amusement sparking in her eyes.

"Not yet. And Billy, Harry, you hush. Don't think I can't see the smirks on your faces." Charlie grizzled, only half joking.

Seth, Leah and Jacob arched their eyebrows in surprise. Before they could ask what happened, Sam and Emily were shown in through the door by Paul, Embry, Quil, Collin and Brady. Leah grinned and pulled Paul under the mistletoe. Harry shook his head at his daughters antics but couldn't say anything. They were engaged after all.

"Well?" Charlie asked when Paul pulled away from Leah with a grin.

Paul smirked. "They're on their way with Bella's jeep. Bella wanted to get all the gifts put in the car just right so that nothing got jostled. They're picking Renee and Phil up from the air port and then they'll be here. Relax old man."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "You're not too old that I won't put you over my knee boy." He teased.

Jacob arched an eyebrow. "I don't even want to know." He then dragged his friends down the hall to his old room to play Halo.

"We're going for a walk on the beach. Come on Emily." Leah said dragging the surprised girl out the back door with Paul and Sam hot on their heels.

Harry sighed. "Why does it appear that no matter how old they get, they're never grown?"

Billy chuckled. "Because they never are. I wish my girls were here this year. Becca can't come. Her kids are sick and their doctor says they shouldn't travel. Rachel couldn't make the drive... the weather's too bad right now. I got to video chat with them earlier but it's not the same." He sighed.

Charlie sighed. "Keep your mouths shut…" He warned, the secret finally weighing on his shoulders.

"Of course." They chimed together.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Women." He quipped.

Billy and Harry pulled the exact same face. "Now wait a minute!" Billy started to protest.

"Jared's asking Bella to marry him… tonight." Charlie said in one go before they could say anything else. He went on to tell them about Jared coming to see him the week before and the plans the boy had made to make it a night Bella would never forget.

The air deflated out of their sails and both Harry and Billy closed their jaws at the same time. "Well then." Harry said before clapping Charlie on the back. Billy only shook his head. He understood now. He'd be the same way if it was one of his girls.

An hour later saw everyone back in the living room waiting for Jared and Bella. Jacob grinned when he heard the familiar sound of Bella's jeep horn. "They're here." He grinned.

"Is she still peeved because she can't drive just yet?" Embry snickered.

Paul nodded. "Oh yeah. She about bit the doctors head off saying she felt fine. She hates using her cane. But he told her if she didn't use it and something happened it would only set her back and she'd end up back in the leg brace."

Jacob shook his head. "Come on guys, lets go help them." He said before throwing his jacket on and heading out to greet Bella and Jared.

Quil rushed out the door and was the first to greet the couple, grinning like the mad hatter himself as he pulled Bella into a hug. "Missed you loca!" He crowed.

Bella laughed along with her mom. "I missed you guys too. Don't tell me you three have been fighting over my hugs again." She scolded.

"We just miss you Bells! Hey Jared." Jacob grinned offering him a grin and a wave. He turned to Renee and pulled her into a bear hug. "Missed you aunt Renee! Hey Phil." He then greeted Phil with a hand shake.

Jared smiled and waved before pulling the bag of presents from the back seat. "Hey guys. Can one of you carry Ms. Limps-a-lot inside please? She refuses to use the cane." Bella rolled her eyes when her mom and Phil started to laugh along with everyone else.

Embry smirked. "Sure thing." He said before sweeping her into his strong arms.

"Em… does your girlfriend know you've got another woman in your arms?" Bella teased.

His eyes widened. "Who told you about that?" He whined.

Bella smirked. "You just did. I want to meet her you know! As one of your best- ok as your ONLY female best friend- I need to make sure she's not gonna break your heart." She teased. Embry grumbled good naturedly and followed a snickering Jacob and Quil into the house.

Jared shook his head and followed them all into the house. Bella was passed from one person to the next as they took turns saying hello before she was placed on the couch. He caught Charlie's eye and grinned. It was a look that said soon. Charlie sighed and willed himself to relax. There were only so many people in the room who knew what would happen. Not even Renee had any idea that after dinner, when things had calmed down, Jared would be stealing Bella away to propose.

"Relax old man." Paul teased.

Charlie clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a weak grin. "She's my baby girl. You just wait until you have one of your own. You'll see." Paul grinned and walked off to talk to his friends. He clapped Jared on the back to let him know he had his support still.

Dinner was a lively affair. Bella regaled them all with stories of her class and their antics down to Jared's competition- a boy with bleach blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, who said he wanted to marry his favorite teacher, Ms. Swan. They laughed when Bella told them she had to explain to Jordan that they couldn't get married because she already had a boyfriend. Jordan told her that he would just have to fight the boyfriend and steal her away for himself like princes did for princesses in the story books.

"Poor Jared." Sam smirked.

Jared shrugged. "I told her to be lucky she didn't teach teenagers. Maybe now she'll believe me. At least all I have to compete with is an 8 year old." He smirked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "There's no competition baby." She told him with a smile.

"Dude! Don't inflate his ego! We have to **work **with the guy!" Paul teased.

"**Hey**! My ego isn't **that **big! **Nothing **compares to **your **ego, Paul." Jared grizzled good naturedly while Paul only shrugged, not denying it at all.

Charlie smiled. He looked around the table at his friends and family basking in the love he felt for them all. In no time at all, he'd be gaining Jared as a part of his family and he couldn't be more pleased. "Ladies, Sue, Hailey, Joy… thank you for the amazing dinner!" He supplied when they'd finished.

Bella smiled. "I agree, you guys did an awesome job. Thank you." She added as everyone thanked them for dinner. Jacob, Quil, Embry and Seth all stood to clean the kitchen. They shooed everyone else out into the living room and laughed when Bella pouted as she was scooped up into Jared's arms.

Sue smiled. "Thank you. Come into the living room when the dishes are loaded into the dishwasher. I think Billy wants us all to relax." She said kissing Seth on the cheek.

Ten minutes later found everyone relaxing in the living room. Jared smiled and looked around at his friends and family before excusing himself to the bathroom. He came back moments later and made a show of sitting in front of Bella on the floor. She frowned at him before pushing it from her mind when he engaged Sam in conversation. If something was wrong, he'd tell her.

Paul smirked and watched when Sam leaned over to turn on the radio. By special request, at 9pm, the song _Stealing Cinderella_ flowed from the speakers. He mouthed '_show time_' and Jared nodded.

"Hey Bella?"

Bella smiled and looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Dance with me?" He whispered.

She smiled and nodded. She trusted that he wouldn't let her hurt herself and even laughed when he spun her around off the floor in a small circle before placing her on her feet. His voice was soft in her ear as he started singing along with the words in the song.

She forgot about everyone watching them. She forgot there was even anyone there in the room with them. She was in his arms and there was no where else she'd rather be. By the time the song ended the grin that had been on her face fell when Jared knelt in front of her. They were under the mistletoe, she noticed. They were supposed to kiss, he wasn't supposed to be kneeling in front of her like he was about to… oh... Bella's eyes widened.

"Baby, what are you...?" She asked him.

Jared took a deep breath and let it out slow. "Where do I start? Ever since I met you, knocking into your life, you've been a constant in my thoughts. You're the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I'm so happy that you took a chance on me. I love you, Bella. I want to fall asleep every night for the rest of forever with you in my arms. I want to wake up and see those gorgeous brown eyes staring back at me every morning. You've taken a hold of my heart and breathed so much life back into me."

The room was silent as Jared spoke to her. Bella moved her astonished eyes from his face to those around the room and found their astonished gazes staring back at them. She nearly missed it when he took a black box from his pocket. She gasped when she realized what he meant to do.

"I was told once, that this ring was meant for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life loving. I should have waited the first time and listened. Thank god my life took the path it did. Otherwise I'd still be looking for my forever. Bella, you're my forever. Please. Will you marry me?"

She was stunned speechless as he opened the box to show off his grandmother's recently polished ring. A tear rolled down her face. She couldn't say anything, instead she just leaned down and kissed him. It was Leah who brought them back out of their bubble.

"Well?! You have to answer him Bella!"

Bella grinned. "Yes. Of course, yes!" It was whispered but the entire room heard it. Cheers and laughter could be heard a block away and Jared slipped the ring on her finger. Her arms went around his neck and she hugged him close. "I love you so much baby. I'll never forget this."

Jared smiled. He hoped she never would.


	14. Chapter 13

Author's Note:

This one is the last chapter I'll do this way. But… since the other one worked so well… I figured I'd gloss over the wedding plans as well . Hopefully it'll go as well as the other chapter I did like this.

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Chapter 13

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_(__**January**__)_

_Bella sighed and let her head fall into her hands as she sat in the recliner. She'd been pouring over brochures for wedding venues in Port Angeles, Forks and even Seattle. Jared had given her free reign over the wedding planning, not having any idea what to do to help. He looked up from the show he'd been watching and smiled at her._

"_What's wrong baby girl?" He cooed as he held his hand out to her in an open invitation._

_She moved only long enough to walk from the chair to perch her body on top of his. "I'm getting a headache." She whined._

"_My poor baby." He muttered against her lips. "Can I help at all?"_

_She smiled. "Do you WANT to help?" She teased him._

"_I don't know how much help I'll be, but I don't want you stressed either." He told her._

_Bella smiled and turned so she faced him with her knees on either side of his waist. Her arms wound around his neck and she grinned when he turned the TV off to give her his undivided attention. She rested her forehead against his and smirked when she heard his breath hitch after her hips shifted against his._

"_Tease." He huffed with a smile on his lips._

_She left a trail of kisses across the skin of his jaw up to his ear, nipping on his earlobe. "You like it."_

_Jared moaned and pulled her body tight against his. He smirked when she shivered in anticipation. His hands roamed her back, stopping at her skirt clad bottom to pull their hips flush together. Their lips met in a passion infused kiss, their tongues battling for dominance that she gave over to him._

"_I want you." He growled in between kisses._

_Bella moved her lips over his skin, pausing to tease the sensitive skin of his neck. She had found the spot on accident one of the times he'd given her free reign over him. She loved the way he bit his lip and clenched his eyes closed in an effort to keep quiet. If she teased him enough, she'd have him begging her to let him fuck her- begging her to ride him so he could watch her come undone above him._

_Jared gasped, his dick hard as her hips wound seductively against his. "Please, baby girl. I need you." He moaned._

"_Jay." Bella whispered. _

_Her hands moved down to the waistband of his jeans, making quick work of the button and zipper in order to free him from the confines of his prison. Smirking when he all but sighed in relief, her hands moved up his body under the shirt he wore to tug at his nipple ring- something she learned he loved._

_Jared didn't give her an chance to protest as he ripped the thong she wore from her body and slid into the slick walls of her pussy. He smirked when she gasped and threw her head back in pleasure. He left tender kisses to the column of her neck before she looked at him and started to move. They moved slow and sweet against one another, neither wanting to rush. Jared showed her in his actions how much he loved her. He knew she wanted things perfect for their wedding, but he hated what it did to her- the stress she'd been putting herself under wasn't healthy._

_Bella sighed and kissed him, a smile on her lips as they lay together on the couch afterwards. "Love you." She chimed, breaking the silence._

"_Love you too, baby girl." He cooed. He huffed when a knock sounded on the door. "Can I tell them to go away?" He asked already knowing who it was._

_Bella giggled and kissed him again. She stood and smoothed her skirt out, allowed him time to make himself presentable and made sure her thong was thrown away. When she opened the door, she couldn't help but release a groan of frustration. Emily and Leah stood in the doorway with magazines in hand waiting to help her plan. _

"_Kill me now." Was all she said as she let them in the door._

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_(__**February**__)_

_Jared watched his phone dance across his work station, not phased too much that it was the fourth time in as little as twenty minutes that it had sounded. The client on his table smirked as he watched Jared's leg starting to bounce. He'd been sitting for an hour waiting for Jared to finish the tattoo- a picture of a snarling pit bull wearing a set of dog tags that had his unit and the date of his discharge from the marine corps- being inked into the skin of his shoulder. Jared eyed the phone again when it went off a few minutes later, failing to hide the grin on his face when he saw Bella's face on the screen as he got another text._

"_Girlfriend?" The man asked._

_Jared couldn't fault him his curiosity. The phone sat out in the open after all. He merely nodded. "My fiancée. I asked her to text me with options or decisions she and her friends made with our wedding."_

_The man was impressed. "You must love her to subject yourself to that." He teased._

_Jared grinned. "I do. She's amazing." He said before focusing his attention back on the tattoo._

_The man in question- a detective who'd just moved to the area from Seattle- grinned. "Hold onto her then. Never go to bed angry after a fight."_

"_You been married long?" Jared asked._

"_About 14 years now. I married my girl right out of high school. Best move I ever made." He laughed._

_Jared's phone went off again. Paul poked his head in with a smirk. "My sister bugging you yet?" He asked._

"_Nope. I told her to text me. She knows I'll get back to her. I made her promise she'd text me even though I'm with a client." He said not looking up from his work._

_Paul rolled his eyes. "I'll call her and see if Leah and Emily have been stressing her."_

"_Thanks Paul." Jared said with a smile._

_The detective arched an eyebrow. "Your friends sister?" He asked with a teasing smile on his lips to show he meant no harm._

_Jared chuckled. "Yeah. It was unexpected, but nowhere near unwelcome."_

"_Well, congratulations. Is that her?" He asked noticing a picture of the two on Jared's station. Paul had caught them unaware when they'd gone on a double date with he and Leah. Bella had her arms wrapped around his neck and his were around her waist. Their lips were pressed together in a sweet kiss while the wind whipped her hair around them._

"_Yeah. That's my Bella." Jared grinned with pride in his voice. _

_The detective watched Jared refocus himself on shading in the tattoo he'd picked. The man had to admit, Jared was quick and skilled. He'd definitely be leaving him a tip if he could get away with it. His near sole minded focus on the task at hand reminded him of himself and his line of work._

_It was a few minutes later when Paul walked back over to them. "I just got off the phone with the girls. They finally decided."_

_Jared arched an eyebrow but otherwise remained quiet. His focus was on his work and the detective had to smirk. The man was good. He made a mental note to send his friends their way for any future tattoos. He watched Paul, the bride's brother while Jared worked on his arm. He'd been texting someone, judging by the smile on his face, it was a girlfriend._

"_Leah said, and I quote, 'tell Jared Bella's being kidnapped by me and Emily for a girls night out tonight- against her will since all she wants to do is stay inside and pout.' She also promised to have her home by 10." Paul said with a roll of his eyes._

_Jared grinned. "Ok. I'll text her later. What colors did she choose?"_

"_Oh, um… horizon blue and silver. They're also going with the beach- finally. Uncle Billy said ok."_

_Jared smiled. "Five more months." _

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_(__**March**__)_

_Bella sighed and laced her fingers through Jared's as they made their way through Seattle traffic. She hated the city sometimes- she just hated the traffic. Her frown turned into a small smile when Jared gave her hand a light squeeze. His grandmother's ring gleamed in the light of the rare sunny day as they drove to meet his mother for lunch. _

_She'd asked to see them when they had a chance- she hadn't seen Bella since before her accident and she'd missed the woman who had stolen her son's heart. Jared had been leery of it at first, but he loved that his mom and Bella got along so well where she'd disliked Kim._

"_What's wrong, Jay? You're frowning." Bella teased._

_He grinned. "Just thinking. So much is different this time."_

_She knew what he had on his mind. He'd told her everything that happened between him and Kim- down to his mother never approving of her. She'd never hated someone she'd never met so much. "It will be." She promised bringing his hand to her lips and placing a gentle kiss to the back of it._

"_It will be." He echoed. He knew that promise would be kept by both of them. _

_He pulled into the underground parking garage of his mom's apartment complex and sighed. He'd grown up here, but he still couldn't help but yearn for the quiet and easy way of life the reservation promised. He waited for Bella- who wanted to open and close her own car doors at least- before taking her hand in his. With a soft chuckle, he whisked her to the elevator that would take them up to the ground level._

_Once they'd stepped inside the complex, they took another set of elevators and made their way to the seventh floor. His mother was one of four tenants on the uppermost level. Bella thought she was crazy. She hated heights._

"_You okay baby girl?" He teased. He knew she didn't like heights. _

_Bella glared at him. "You're gonna get it later on tonight, Jay." She threatened._

_Jared stopped them and pushed her against the wall. "Don't make promises you won't keep baby." He warned as he pinned her with one of his legs between hers. His lips drifted over her skin- teasing and playful- before he sucked a bruising kiss from her neck. He pulled away after a minute and grinned at his handy work._

_Bella sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Was that necessary?" _

"_Took your mind off things, didn't it?" He said with a cocky grin._

_She rolled her eyes and gave his arm a playful smack. She gasped when he hissed in pain. "Oh baby! I'm so sorry! I forgot!"_

_He'd had Sam ink in his latest tattoo- twin dragons entwined around an hourglass- into his left bicep. "It's fine. It just stung. Hey, I'm alright." He cooed when he saw her eyes well with tears._

"_You promise? I hate hurting you." She smiled when he placed a gentle kiss on her lips._

"_Come on gorgeous. If my mom finds out I made you cry she'll tear into me. She loves you, you know." He said with a grin._

"_I love her too! She's amazing." Bella told him._

_Five minutes later found them sitting on the couch in the apartment Jared had once lived. "Oh look at you! You've healed well!" Linda cooed to Bella._

"_Thank you Ms. Mason." Bella said with a sweet smile._

"_Please, call me Linda. You know better than to be so formal." She quipped._

_Bella smiled. "I know, I just… my dad would have a conniption fit if he heard it."_

_Linda smiled. "He's a good man. Speaking of which, have you chosen a song for the father-daughter dance yet?"_

_Bella smiled. "Yeah, but I'm kind of stuck for my step dad. And my mom, Paul and Hailey will be getting tribute songs to them- they just don't know it yet."_

_Linda smiled. "Well, I think that's sweet! If you need any help, let me know. I'll take some vacation time to come and help you." She said._

"_I'd like that, if you're free. I don't want to intrude."_

_Jared sighed. His eyes rolled to the ceiling with a small smile on his face. 'Thanks grandma.'_

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_(__**April**__)_

_Bella grinned. She bounced in her seat as she waited for her mom, Hailey, Leah and Emily to arrive. She'd been up since six in the morning- on a Saturday no less- and she'd been ready to leave since eight. She'd found her dress online and had asked that it shipped to the closest store near her as she could get. _

_Lucky for them, a David's Bridal store stood just fifteen minutes away by car. Jared shook his head and watched her. He'd woken up to the entire apartment nearly gleaming. He knew her mom would be in town and braced himself for the whirlwind that was Renee Dwyer. _

"_You gonna be gone all day long baby?" He wondered._

"_Not sure. Leah and Emily need to find their bridesmaid dresses and I know Hailey said she wants something to wear too. Mom said she's got something in mind, but she wants to look just in case." She said with a roll of her eyes._

_He laughed and watched her dance around the kitchen putting dishes away. When she passed close enough to him, he reached out and pulled her into his lap. He grinned when she squealed in surprise. "Gotcha." He whispered against her lips._

_Bella grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah. You do." She murmured before kissing him._

_A throat clearing from the kitchen doorway had them both turning their heads. Paul and Sam snickered at the annoyed frowns that marred their faces. Paul rolled his eyes and shook his head. He held his phone out to show them the four missed calls from Bella's mom._

"_Oh shit! She's there already!" Bella hissed before jumping up and rushing to the bedroom._

_Jared sighed and let his head drop backwards to look towards the ceiling. "Why… just why!" He muttered._

_Sam smirked. "Come on Jay. Let's go to work and get a few things done. The girls should be back by then."_

"_Should be. Baby girl, I'm leaving." He called._

_Bella ran out of the bedroom ready to go. She hugged each of them and headed down to her car. It took her five to find a parking place and head inside once she'd reached the bridal shop. She rushed into her mom's arms and hugged her tight._

"_You're early!" Bella scolded her mom._

_Renee shrugged. "It's not everyday your only daughter marries the man of her dreams."_

_Bella grinned. "yeah… you wanna see my dress?"_

"_Of course!" Renee said, her excitement echoing Bella's. _

_The sales associate took them back to see Bella's dress- as well as four or five more dresses they had waiting. She told them they always did that, just in case the bride tried the dress on and decided she didn't like it. It wasn't ten minutes later that Hailey, Leah and Emily made an appearance. They'd hit traffic on the way up, but the irritation left them when they saw the dresses._

"_Ok, Bella. Dazzle us!" Leah teased._

_Bella smiled and followed the sales associate to the changing room. Her dress was floor length, strapless and lightweight. The bodice had a strip of flowers to decorate it. With it, she paired a long sleeved, lace jacket; The effect left her stunned. It was gorgeous. They gushed over the beauty of it and had to agree that Bella had found the perfect dress- on the first try no less._

_After another hour of shopping, Leah and Emily found their dresses as well, as had Renee and Hailey. The sales associate took her measurements and made an appointment for her to come back one more time before the wedding. The girls grinned and thanked her before heading over to see Jared, Paul and Sam. Things had been coming together well and all that she had left was to decide what the type of invitations and which food they wanted to serve at the reception. It could wait. Bella wanted to relax._

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_(__**May**__)_

_Bella and Jared smiled and thanked the man in front of them for holding the door to let them pass. Emily had told them about a cute, local scrap booking store- Pictures In Time- where she'd found her wedding invitations. They offered a wide variety and Emily had fallen in love with the place, swearing by the managers professionalism. The girl working behind the counter eyed the couple as they entered the store- at least she saw Jared- before frowning when she saw Bella's ring. Bella couldn't help the smug smile that flitted over her lips. The manager may have been professional, but the girl behind the counter didn't have a clue about customer service._

"_Behave." Jared whispered. He'd seen the smile too._

_Bella arched an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything." Her voice at least sounded innocent._

"_Okay baby girl." He teased. He secretly loved how possessive Bella got sometimes. She wasn't loud about it like Kim had been. Bella was subtle and would come over and slide her hand up his chest so that her ring showed if a girl got too handsy. He had to quell a groan. It turned him on- he could admit that much._

"_Come on Jay. Emily said they'd be over here." Bella said pulling him away. She slid her arm around his waist and her hand into his back pocket as they walked. _

_Jared couldn't help but snort in amusement. "And you said I was the possessive one." He teased._

"_I don't know what you're talking about baby. I'm walking beside you." She said with a knowing and teasing glint in her eyes._

"_Mhm. And the sun's shining outside too." He quipped with a playful grin._

_Bella giggled. "She needs to know you're taken. I'm just not going to cause a scene." She sniffed._

"_I love you." He whispered before turning to look at the different invitations._

_Bella smiled. "Love you too Jay."_

_Jared grinned and held up a silver card stock invitation with a dark blue solid line running around the border. "What about this baby? These are close to our colors right?"_

"_Baby! It's prefect!" She said with a grin._

_Jared grinned and noticed the girl behind the counter glowering at Bella. "No babe, you are." He said before swooping down to give her a sound kiss. He was hers as much as she was his. Just two more months to go and the whole world would know it._

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_(__**June**__)_

_Bella stepped out of the bathroom in a black halter dress and walked over to Leah. She turned and lifted her hair out of the way. "Hey, zip this up for me please?"_

_Leah's eyes widened. "Holy HELL! Where'd you get this?!" She crowed._

_The dress had three stripes on each side that had been cut out and it stopped mid thigh. The neckline showed enough of her cleavage to be sexy, but still covered enough to be classy at the same time. "I found it in 5.7.9 the other day." She grinned._

_Leah eyed her again. "You sure you'll be able to get away with that? I know you. You hate getting attention from guys most of the time."_

_Bella smirked. "Yeah, but… Jay's gonna be there. It's one of the reasons we wanted to share the parties. Tonight though, we're all going out to relax. It's been a long few months. Jared even said that we could all use some downtime away from the wedding planning to just have fun." She said zipping her 4 inch stiletto ankle boots._

_Leah eyed her again and shook her head. She pulled her own boots on while Emily finished her makeup. They'd dressed similar; Both wore pleated, plaid mini skirts, however Leah wore a dark green halter top while Emily wore a frosted pink halter one instead. All three of them wore their hair up, knowing full well the club would be hot inside with all the bodies in such close proximity to each other._

_The drive to the club took them no time at all. They'd been there so often that the bouncers knew them by sight and let them cut through the lines to be among the first into the building. Leah sent a text to Paul and grinned when her phone vibrated back not three minutes later. Paul had sent her a patented S.O.S._

"_They're over by the bar. It's time to show off that little black dress, Bella. Paul just sent me an S.O.S" Leah grinned._

_Emily's phone vibrated in her hand. She snickered and showed them Sam's S.O.S. as well. "Jared's quite the looker tonight, huh."_

_Bella's eyes flashed with possessiveness. "Jared is off limits." She growled following her friends to the bar. She glared when she saw the girls standing on either side of him. Paul and Sam smirked when they saw their girls sauntering over to them. Paul nodded his head towards them and Jared sighed in relief. He moved one of the girls hands from his person again before turning to see his gorgeous fiancée glaring daggers at the two. Things would definitely be interesting tonight._

_It took Leah, Emily and Bella just under two minutes to stake claims of their respective partners. It wasn't too long after that Bella had Jared in a darkened corner on the dance floor with her. Their bodies pressed flush together with her back to his chest. His arms wrapped around her waist and her arms wrapped around his neck while her head rested on his shoulder. They'd gotten lost in their own world as they moved to the beat of the pounding bass._

"_My beautiful fiancée." He moaned when she pushed her bottom against him, teasing him with her body._

"_Yours." She purred before pulling him down to kiss her._

_Jared's eyes widened when she pushed his hands just below the hem of her dress. He looked down at her, saw the smirk on her lips and pulled her further into the corner. His questing fingers moved higher and he let out a groan when he realized she wasn't wearing anything under her dress. _

"_You're trying to kill me before you have my last name aren't you?" He wondered._

_She smiled. "No. just trying to tell you what you'll have later tonight."_

_Jared sighed and titled his head back in a silent prayer to whatever deity chose to listen. "One more month, Bella. Are you sure you're ready to be mine?"_

_She smiled at him. "More than I ever have been in my life." She promised with desire dancing in her eyes._

"_Fuck it. We're leaving. I need you. Now." Jared growled. He sent Paul and Sam a text telling them he'd see them tomorrow and started to pull Bella out to his car._

"_Wait. I'll be back ok?" She grinned. She found Leah, handed her the keys to her car and told her if anything happened to her baby, Leah would be buried before she could say 'sorry'._

_Bella and Jared left then. They made it home in record time and took full advantage of the quiet. She had been honest. She'd been counting down the days until she could call Jared her husband. _


	15. Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

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(July)

It had been six months of planning, dress hunting, saving, little fights, work, time spent both together and apart, flower and decoration designs and everything else in between that. With her wedding taking place on the beach, she felt leery of having a full length dress until Jared had suggested they use a sheet or something of the like to walk across without sinking into the sand. With that, Emily and Leah went to work hunting down a train of white fabric that would be perfect for her to walk across in her silver two inch heels.

Leah and Emily had made her dream wedding come true right before her eyes. They'd strung two white canopy tops together over the entire area where Jared and Bella would be wed in case of rain, and kept the decorations minimal but gorgeous in their placement and design. Simple but elegant- as the guests commented. Bella's choice colors had been a horizon blue and silver. They went amazing together, and with the paper lanterns hung around the canopy tops, it gave the affect of being married under the stars.

Now- a solid month after the final preparations had been made and the checks had been cleared- Bella stood in front of her friends, her mom and her step mom in her dress. Her best friends steered her over to the window of her uncles house, pulling her from her thoughts as she'd stared at herself in a full length mirror. She looked down and saw her friends and family milling about as they waited for her wedding to take place.

She hadn't seen Jared since the night before last- her father asking that they keep to that tradition at least- and her breath caught when she saw him dressed in a pair of beige slacks and a white button down dress shirt with the top two or three buttons undone. He was gorgeous. Paul and Sam noticed her in the window and steered Jared away so he wouldn't see her, smirking as they went. She sighed and shook her head at their antics.

"Not too much longer Bella. Then you'll see him every night. It gets boring." Emily teased.

Leah grinned. Having just recently come back from her own honeymoon, she couldn't help but disagree. "I don't know. I love waking up in the middle of the night and seeing Paul sleeping beside me."

"Don't you do that every night anyways?" Bella teased.

"Take it from us girls, a good marriage will only get stronger with time. You'll fight, sure. No couple is happy all the time, but you should never go to bed angry. Cherish all the time you have. You never know when it can be ripped away." Hailey told them.

Bella smiled at the women in the room; her family. Leah and Emily stood dressed in their crinkle chiffon high-low halter top dresses and both her mom and Hailey had been dressed in floor length halter dresses- all of them in a horizon blue color. They looked stunning. Each of them wore silver bracelets and bangles on their arms and fussed over Bella's hair and makeup. They couldn't help but tear up and told her under no uncertain terms that if she messed up her eyeliner or mascara, they'd skin her alive.

Renee and Hailey had woven small silver and blue flowers throughout her hair as well as making a crown of them out of the extra ones not used. With tears in her eyes, Renee placed the crown on her head and kissed her cheek. Hailey placed a strand of pearls around her neck before she could protest.

"This will be your something old. They belonged to my great grandmother. I don't have a daughter of my own, but you're the closest thing I have to one. Please, keep them safe for me." She whispered.

"I promise."

Emily grinned at her, her eyes mischievous. "I've got your something new from Jared." She said holding out a long black velvet box.

Bella opened it with trembling fingers and gasped when she saw the white gold bracelet sitting there. It looked delicate and simple and expensive. She smiled when she saw a note from him.

'I wanted to put this on you myself. I know you say you don't need things like this, but I saw it, and I thought of you. Please, wear it for me. I swear to you I won't do this all the time, but the price it cost is worth it if I can see you smile and walk towards me with it on your arm.'

Leah and Emily cooed over it when she passed the note around for them to see. Renee was the one to point out that it had been engraved. A date as well as the phrase 'Os meum es aeternum' was written on the back.

"What's it mean Bella?" Emily asked.

Bella smiled. "It's the date we met. The phrase means 'You are my forever'."

She smiled and blushed as Renee helped her close the bracelet around her wrist. It was her turn to present something.

She pulled a pair of diamond earrings from a small box and placed them in her ears. "These will be **my** something old to give. Hailey and I talked and she and I both agree that we'd break with tradition some and forgo the something borrowed. These have been worn by the female heirs in the Black family for ages now. They were passed to me when I married your dad, and now I give them to you. Treasure your love Bella. Guard it, keep it safe, and help it grow. You'll never be unhappy if you do." She told her with tears in her eyes.

Leah was the last one to give Bella something, the comic relief of sorts. She smirked as she pulled out the something blue from a small bag on the bed. Bella tried to protest but Leah wouldn't hear it. The garter, a lacey blue near see-through material fit snugly against her thigh. When her dress was settled to the floor again, Bella could barely feel it.

A knock on the door interrupted the quiet moment the women shared as they all stared into the floor length mirror. Hailey opened the door a crack and smiled when she saw Reverend Webber standing on the other side. "If you don't mind, may I talk to Bella for a moment?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded waving them in to see her. The women in the room made themselves appear busy as he promised it would only take a moment.

"You look so beautiful Bella." He smiled.

She gave him a shy smile. "Thank you Mr. Webber."

"I admit, sometimes I still think of what would have happened if Angela had lived… but seeing you, I know she would have been just as happy. Her mother and I, we wanted to give this to you. We meant to it for her, but… you stayed by her side, kept her safe at that party that night. Please, take this. It would mean the world to us." He said holding up Angela's old charm bracelet- the one she had been given as a small girl.

Bella gasped. "_Oh_…" Her eyes welled with tears and it was then that Renee could no longer pretend she wasn't in the room. She held Bella as Angela's dad closed the bracelet around the wrist that had previously been bare. It was a simple silver band with classy charms dangling from it- a pair of ballet shoes, a silver heart, a small set of rings and a silver cross.

"It suits you. And I think… I hope… I know, she's watching over you." He said kissing her forehead.

Renee patted his arm. "Over all of us." She corrected him. He nodded and promised to meet her at the end of the aisle so he could wed her to her prince charming. With that, he was gone and Bella was fussed over once again.

"Oh baby girl." Renee sighed.

Bella smiled. "I never thought I'd miss her so much." She told them.

Leah had known her, not as well, but she knew how close she and Bella had been. "They never leave us you know. She's here. I think she told her dad to give it to you. She's telling you to be happy."

Bella grinned. "I am happy Angie." She promised. They were broken from their thoughts by a sharp knock on the door. Charlie poked his head in with his eyes closed.

Hailey rolled her eyes along with Renee. Bella, Emily and Leah giggled. "It's alright daddy."

Bella smiled when she saw the tears in his eyes. "It's time to get lined up baby. My god you look so grown. Where did my little girl go?" He asked when they were alone in the room.

"It's still me!" She huffed with a grin. "You're gaining a son, not loosing a daughter." She told him.

"I'll have to think about that." He teased.

The wedding march started before she had time to answer. "Don't let me trip, okay daddy." She whispered when all eyes turned to her after Leah and Emily were in their spots.

"Never. You ready?" Charlie wondered.

Bella nodded and together they made their way down the aisle. Jared's breath caught when he saw her- the vision of a goddess making her way to him on the arm of her father. Paul had to clap a hand to his shoulder and tell him to breathe. Sam chuckled and promised him it would never fade- the feeling of awe after first seeing her.

She smiled and took his hand after Charlie proclaimed loud and clear that he would be giving her hand away to Jared. She stood facing him, their hands joined together, and gave him a shy smile.

Angela's dad waited for the crowd to hush before he cleared his throat. He had been asked by Bella to marry them. He smiled and opened his bible to the verse Bella had asked him to read. He'd been surprised yet pleased that she remembered her bible verses and glanced now over the book before reading from Corinthians 13.

"_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boat, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self- seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. _

_But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. _

_When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest is love_."

The rest of the words were muffled as Bella and Jared stared into each others eyes. They made it through their vows, heartfelt words written by their own hand, before Reverend Webber asked Jared if he would love, honor, and cherish her for the rest of his life. He gave a simple, 'I Do' to which she likewise returned. The rings were placed on their fingers and Jared was asked to kiss his bride.

Cheers and applause rang out over the beach as their lips touched. They broke apart with smiles on their faces and made their way back up the aisle hand in hand. Neither one felt they could be any happier. The drive to the reception hall in the tribal center was short and Leah instructed them that they were to wait until either Paul or Jacob came to get them before they could enter.

"How do you feel?" Jared asked while they sat waiting.

Bella smiled and turned to face him. "Wonderful. I don't think I've ever been so happy." She said.

"You wore my bracelet." He said with a grin remembering how he promised her in the note he sent that it would make him happy to see it on her.

"I did." She nodded. "And Angie's."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Angie's?"

She grinned and told him the story. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. "Leah was right. It's her way of telling you to be happy."

"I'm so happy. I promise you that." She grinned.

A tapping on the window broke their kiss. Jared rolled his eyes. "Here we go." He said when he noticed a police officer at the window.

"Is there a problem officer?" Jared asked.

The officer looked down his nose at the couple. He tried to hide his smirk. Charlie had asked him to escort the two. "I'm going to have to ask you two to come with me. You're wanted inside by a rather large group of people."

Bella's jaw dropped. "My dad put you up to this huh."

Jared snickered. "Oh wow. I forget sometimes your dad is the police chief."

The officer laughed and walked ahead of them into the building, holding the door for them as he did. They were met with loud cheers and applause from their friends and family. Bella spotted her parents and waved to them. Seth allowed the crowd to settle before he called everyone to order. He promised them that they would get a chance to eat but first, there was a special man who wanted to share a dance with his daughter before she wasn't his to hold anymore.

Bella's eyes welled with tears as she laid her head on Charlie's shoulder. The crowd watched with hushed smiles as Bella and Charlie danced to Heartland's, I loved Her First. None present had it in their hearts to poke fun at Charlie when they saw the tear roll down his face as the song ended.

They spent the next half hour dancing and laughing. Bella and Phil explained to everyone why they chose to dance to the song Dixie Lullaby by Pat Green. It was one of Phil's favorite songs and one that he had taught Bella to play, along with the fact that Phil was born and raised on country music. It was Bella's way to honor the roll he played in her life.

Renee and Hailey pretended not to cry when Bella chose to honor them with songs as well. 26 Cents by The Wilkinson's for her mother and In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride for Hailey. They hadn't expected it and Bella told them at their thanks that it was simply her way of letting them know they were loved. Paul too, was pulled into a dance by Bella- Leann Womack's I Hope You Dance. She pretended she didn't see the tears in his eyes at her thoughtfulness.

The last one to have a special dance was Jared and his mother. The woman who had fallen head over heels in love with Bella the moment she'd met her. It had shocked the life out of him since it had taken his mother nearly a year to speak in a civil tone around Kim. He pulled her to the dance floor as Sara Evan's song, You'll Always Be My Baby started to play.

The guests laughed when Bella shoved a piece of cake into Jared's face while Billy Currington's Must Be Doing Something Right played in the background. Paul had to shake his head at the look of surprise on his friends face. He should have known by now what a sneak his sister could be. Sam merely smirked and held Emily close to his side, his arms ensnared around her waist. Leah too, chuckled as her head rested on Paul's shoulder while she watched the two.

The toasts to the bride and groom were filled with laughter and tears. Jacob stood to tell Jared what a handful he'd be gaining in the form of his favorite cousin. Bella reminded him she'd return the favor when he married. She tried not to cry when Charlie stood to tell her how proud she'd made him, and how happy he felt for her. They watched as Jared held her close and kissed away the tear that slipped down her cheek.

Sam nudged Paul and nodded to Seth. He smirked and stood in the center of the room. "Ladies and Gentleman, can I have your attention please. So who's having a good time… yeah, I know, I know. It's a wedding, who's not enjoying it?" He smirked when Bella narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"So… anyways, Bella, you're one of my sisters best friends… one of my good friends… and it's my privilege to embarrass you again, one more time at least. Come out here hon, have a seat in this LOVELY little chair. Oh, and… bring your prisoner- I mean husband- with you why don't you." He teased causing everyone to laugh.

Bella stood and got dragged onto the dance floor by Emily and Leah. Seth played Selena Gomez's song Come and Get It before taking up the microphone again. "Now… can I have all the single guys over in the corner… come on now… if you haven't figured it out yet, Jared gets to toss the garter!" He chirped. His laughter rang free as Bella smacked her forehead, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

Jared took pity on Bella and lifted her chin with his finger. He kissed her before dropping to his knees. "Quick and easy baby. I promise." He cooed before lifting her dress over his head. He pulled the garter down her leg with his teeth before nipping at her skin causing her breath to hitch. He had a smirk on his lips when he emerged with the garter twirling around his index finger.

"Woohoo… talk about a show. Sorry Charlie, looks like your baby's all grown up now." Seth couldn't help but rib the man he thought of as an uncle. He stopped when he saw the look of warning on his mother's stern face. "Oh alright. I'll behave… throw it Jared!"

Jared grinned and shook his head, kissing Bella on the cheek. He smiled apologetically at both his mother and Charlie before turning his back on the small group of single men gathered in the corner. With a final look over his shoulder, he flung the lacey band into the air, turning to watch in amusement as they pushed and shoved one another. It came as no surprise when it was Quil who caught it by jumping into the air.

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed as Emily brought out her bouquet. Seth changed the music to Christina Aguilera's Candy Man. As before, he called all the single ladies in attendance to the same corner and teased Bella about making sure to not hit anyone in the face. They watched as Claire caught the bouquet of dark blue hydrangeas and white baby's breath flowers in her hands. She blushed and shrugged when everyone whooped and made cat calls to the couple.

They spent another hour dancing with friends and family. Laughter filled the reception hall as well as hugs and tears of happiness. It came as a welcomed surprise when both Rachel and Rebecca made an appearance. Rachel went to find her father holding tight to the hand of her boyfriend. He looked nervous to be surrounded by so many muscular men who had the heart of his girlfriend. He couldn't help but notice all the curious stares from them as he passed.

Rebecca drew Bella's attention back to her. "I'm so sorry I was late. They called us at the last minute to let us know that someone had canceled. I'm glad I got to at least see you in your wedding gown. You're so beautiful. I can't believe my baby cousin is all grown up and someone's wife now." She sighed.

"Becca, it's ok! I'm happy you could make it too, but we talked. I knew why you wouldn't have been here. I know uncle Billy will be thrilled too!" Bella grinned.

"Yeah, I talked to him too. It's Rachel's turn to talk. And I think her boyfriend's going into shock." She giggled as they watched him talking to Billy while Jacob, Paul, Sam and Seth all gathered around Rachel to say hi.

"So, listen. Dad told me you and Jared aren't going on a honeymoon just yet. Is there a reason?" Rebecca asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bella shrugged. "We're going to save up some more money first. We wanted to take a few weeks off, but we'll just take a vacation next year." She said.

"Well, Solomon and I were thinking…" She said when he came over to wrap his arms around her, "Why don't you and Jared come down to visit us for a week. We'll pay for your tickets. We have a guest house right on a private beach. What do you say?"

"Becca! That's too much! I can't ask you to do that!" Bella tried to protest, humbled by her offer.

Rebecca smiled. "It's my wedding present to you. Hey Jared! Come here for a sec!" She called to him.

Jared smiled and made his way over to say hi. "Hey guys! I'm glad you made it!"

Solomon smiled. "No way we'd miss her baby cuz's wedding! Now all you need to do is convince her to take our gift!" He teased.

Jared arched an eyebrow. "What gift?"

Bella smiled. "They're paying for us to stay in their guest house on a private beach for a week in Hawaii."

"Oh wow! Guys! That's too much! Tickets alone are damn expensive!" Jared tried to protest too.

Solomon rolled his eyes. "It's not a problem. I've done well with the tournaments this year. We have money saved. And you're family. This is what family does. We help one another!" He said with a smile. "Call it our wedding gift."

"So… you'll come then, right?" Rebecca needled.

Bella and Jared smiled. "Of course." They said together. Bella grinned and hugged her tight. "Thank you." She said kissing her cheek. She laughed as she was swept into a dance with Solomon.

Jared sighed. "Thank you Becca." He grinned and swept her into a dance- one of the final ones of the night.

It wasn't long after that, that Jared and Bella started thanking everyone for coming and telling them of the gracious gift bestowed upon them by Rebecca and Solomon. Bella kissed her dad on the cheek, the same as she did with all the men close to her in her life. Living half of her life on the reservation, each of the men standing around her now held a place in her heart. Jared shook hands with Charlie and Billy and hugged his mom tight to him. He couldn't have been happier if he tried.

Friends and family surrounded them as they climbed into Jared's car. The drive to their apartment building took next to no time at all for them. Before they walked through the door, Jared swept Bella into his arms, laughing when she let out a tiny squeal of excitement. They were to pack their bags and leave for the airport in the morning. Their tickets would be waiting and from there, so would a week in Hawaii.


	16. Chapter 15

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**Chapter 15**

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(**July**)

The chill of the room awoke Bella after only a few blissful hours of sleep. It was early still, and upon searching the time from the grandfather clock in the corner, she confirmed that it was only four in the morning. She sighed, growling under her breath about not getting enough sleep. Their week in Hawaii had consisted of lazing about on the beach, visiting popular tourist sites and then spending each and every night wrapped up in each others arms after spending an hour or two with Solomon, Rebecca and their kids.

Last night was the first time that Jared had let loose and to say she was thrilled about it was an understatement. She attempted to stand, finding her legs were still shaky from previous activities. As she slipped from his arms, she prayed Jared would stay asleep. He had done the majority of the work last night pleasing her- seeing as he had had her legs pinned over his shoulders with her hands tied to the headboard above her head- it was only fair to him that he sleep in longer.

"Bella? Baby, you ok?" She bit back a chuckle when she heard his husky voice filled with sleep and worry. 'No such luck on him staying asleep.' She mused inwardly.

"Just got cold. Turning the AC on worked wonders when we were still all hot and sweaty… now its not so fun. I feel like I'm in an ice box." She whispered, smiling as she looked over her shoulder at her husband.

Jared grinned. "Come back to bed. I want to hold my wife." He told her.

Bella smiled. "Then I guess I should get closer to my husband, shouldn't I?" She teased. Jared chuckled when she climbed back into bed. He smiled when he heard Bella sigh in content as his toned arms circled around her waist.

"I love you Jay." She hummed.

It was his turn to sigh in content as he kissed the skin just below her left ear. "I love you too." He whispered. He noticed their reflections in the large dresser mirror and moaned. He dropped a kiss to her shoulder, moving his lips across her neck.

Bella sighed when he nibbled on her earlobe catching his eye in the reflective glass. She moaned when his index finger rubbed her still sensitive clit. "Tease." She gasped.

"I want you." Jared growled in her ear before two fingers disappeared into her already drenched folds.

"T-tell me how bad." Bella half moaned, half growled. She watched his eyes in the mirror, one of her arms snaking up to wrap around his neck to pull him closer.

Jared sucked a hard kiss from her neck, "Why don't I show you instead?" He whispered against the shell of her ear, his lips close enough she could feel them moving as he talked.

Bella let out a gasp of pleasure as his fingers curled to hit that special spot inside her writhing body. She pulled away long enough to sit him on the edge of the bed, returning to his lap with her back to his chest. He bit his lip to hide the groan he wanted to let out when he caught their reflection in the mirror. He moved his fingers back down her body before sliding them home in her drenched walls.

"You like this don't you." She growled as she bucked against his fingers. "You like watching me ride your fingers?"

"God yes! Ride my fingers baby. Let me see you cum for me again." He whispered, his voice husky with lust. "Fuck you're so wet."

"Oh my… Jay! I'm so close." Bella moaned, her head dropping back against his broad shoulder.

"That's it, let go." Jared moaned in anticipation. "Cum for me." He encouraged her, his fingers meeting the thrusts of her hips in a punishing tempo. Their eyes locked onto each others through the dresser mirror and Bella's breath hitched as she watched herself writhing in pleasure on her husband's fingers.

"Yes… yes… I'm gonna…" Her sentence was never completed as her back arched and her body froze. Her eyes were wide and a long drawn out moan left her lips. Jared smirked, his fingers withdrawing from her core after a few more slow pumps to draw out her orgasm, allowing her to fall limp against him.

"So damn sexy." He whispered against the sensitive skin of her neck as she melted against him.

He watched as Bella brought his fingers to her lips, her tongue darting out to swirl around the digits gathering her essence off of them, licking and sucking them clean. She stood and tuned, pushing him back on the bed till he lay prone on the comforter with her legs on either side of his waist. She teased the head of his dick with her dripping center as she stared down into his eyes.

"Do you want me?" She purred as she hovered over him.

Jared watched the sexy brunette above him. He'd never seen this side of her, but he couldn't complain. He loved everything about her- she was his wife and he couldn't be more thrilled with that fact. His hands flew to her waist, trying in vain to push her onto his aching need. He growled in frustration when she smacked his hands away.

"Answer me." She growled.

"Please Bella." He whispered, his eyes closing. He tried again to move her hips down towards his.

Bella swatted his hands away from her and rubbed the head of his dick against her clit before sliding it along her soaking wet folds, allowing only a mere inch of him inside her. "Please what?" She asked as she moved away with an innocent smile dancing over her lips.

"Fuck… Bella… please. Don't make me beg." His fingers gripped the comforter tight in an attempt to control his raging urge to flip her over and have his wicked way with her.

Her lips trailed over his skin, moving up his chest, teasing the bulging muscles of his neck, finally moving to graze his ear. "Tell me what. you. want." She purred, her hips stilling once more with the tip of his dick barely entering her wet pussy again.

Jared growled in utter frustration. "You! I want you to fucking ride me! Now!" He hissed before grabbing a fistful of her wild hair in order to pull her lips to his for a bruising kiss.

Bella impaled herself onto him then, both she and Jared gasping within the kiss at the sudden coupling. She sat up, her eyes half lidded with lust and smirked down at him as she started to move. Her hips met his, driving him deep into her body. She gasped as his hands brushed over her body, searing her lithe frame into his mind while raising goose pimples over her flesh. Her head fell backwards, her mane of tangled curls dropping over her back in a curtain as she bounced on his straining erection.

"Feels so good." Jared moaned, his hands moving down to her waist.

"Make me cum baby. I'm so damn close." Bella whimpered. "I wanna cum for you." She leaned back over his body to nip at a particular spot on his sensitive neck- the place he told her Paul would be inking her name when they got home.

Jared pulled her flush to his toned body, their lips colliding together for a passion filled, bruising kiss. One arm slid around her shoulders, the other holding her hips in place by the small of her back, over the curve of her pert bottom, caging her in his arms. "You ready to cum for me baby?" He cooed, his voice filled with lust and desire.

Bella gasped, her lips sucking a bruising kiss from the pulse point of his neck- her claim on him to match the one on her own neck. "Please… please Jared, please make me cum." Her nails dug into his arms as her pleasure grew.

Taking that as his cue, Jared braced his feet on the bed, and, using the muscles in his powerful thighs, started to thrust as hard as he could up into her willing body. The brutal slaps of their hips meeting along with her screams of pleasured pain filled the room; she couldn't move from his embrace which only added to her pleasure. She could feel him surrounding her and filling her, skyrocketing the experience. She bit the flesh of his shoulder hard, causing him to grunt in mild pain as he continued his merciless thrusts. "Cum for me baby girl. Now." He growled. He filled her over and over, pushing them both towards the open arms of pure bliss.

"Oh fuck… yes… Jared!" Her screams as she gave over to the pleasure of release were music to his ears as her core tightened around him. He muffled his release in her neck and grunted as he came, nearly forgetting to breathe.

Moments passed in silence as the two steadied their racing hearts and ragged breaths. Bella tried to find words for what had just transpired. "That was…"

"Amazing?" Jared finished.

"Amazing." He only chuckled and released her from the cage of arms.

Bella smiled running her fingers over his arms. She frowned when she saw the bleeding half moon nail marks. "Holy crow! Jared, I'm so sorry!" She said jumping up off the bed. She returned moments later with a first aide kit to clean his arms.

Jared smiled at the look of concentration that crossed her face, endearing her to him all the more. "I don't mind. Bella, I promise… its alright... Besides, it felt damn good." He grinned.

"Doesn't mean I don't feel bad." Bella pouted.

Jared chuckled. "I loved it baby. They'll heal in a few days. Until then, I'll see them and remember the fucking amazing way you felt around me, and the sound of you screaming my name." He teased.

Bella rolled her eyes but chuckled none the less. "If you say so." She kissed each of the marks before laying a chaste kiss to his lips.

Jared's laughter sent shivers through her body. "I'd tell you to come work in the shop with us if you didn't have that adorable tender heart. You're an amazing artist.." He teased.

Her nose wrinkled. "I prefer being a teacher thank you." Her head rested on his muscular chest, her body more than relaxed, if not somewhat sore.

"I love you, Bella Cameron." He told her after moments of silence passed over them.

Bella smiled and lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "I love you, Jared Cameron. Thank you so much for making me so happy." She whispered.

Jared smiled and brushed the hair off of her face. "It's me who should be thanking you." He laughed when she yawned. "Go back to bed baby girl. It'll be daylight soon. Solomon and Rebecca said they'd come to see us before we head home." Bella hummed in reply and curled up against him. Together they fell back into slumbers awaiting embrace.

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The morning had flown by for Jared and Bella and before they knew it, Sam and Emily greeted them in the airport. They wore excited smiles and waved as they left the gate. Bella pulled her phone out to show Emily pictures as they made their way over to claim their bags.

"Sam and I figure we'll go to Colorado for a week. We finally have some extra money saved up since Billy gave us the weekend at his cabin. Leah and Paul took Renee up on her offer and they're gonna use the plane tickets to head down to Florida this winter. I can't believe she's related to you now!" Emily told her as they walked to Sam's car.

Bella grinned. "I'm so happy for you guys. If it hadn't been for Becca and Solomon offering to pay for our tickets we would have done the same thing and waited." She told her. "Uncle Billy offered to let us use his cabin too, but I'm happy we went to Hawaii. I can't believe it either! But you know you're like a sister to me too!"

"Yeah, I can see you doing that too. I know. You're my sister too." Emily teased. She giggled when they piled into the car.

Jared and Sam shook their heads. "So what'd I miss? Any crazy stories to tell?" Jared asked.

"Well... Kim came by the store. She noticed the new tattoo Paul inked." Sam said with a raised eyebrow. He noticed Bella and Emily had quieted too. "I guess she wanted to tell you she made a mistake. However, Leah heard her. She'd come to visit Paul."

Emily smirked. "Oh I remember that! That poor girl didn't stand a chance in hell of escaping Leah's wrath. Oh you guys will laugh so hard! Poor Paul and Sam had to call me to get my deranged cousin under control."

"Do I want to know?" Jared wondered looking at Bella. She shrugged and turned her attention to Sam and Emily.

Sam grinned. "Your ex tried to tuck tail and run after Paul said you'd gone on your honeymoon. Leah waited for her at the door though. As far as I can remember, Leah told her if she ever caught her 'good for nothing, washed out, used up, two timing, lying, shameful, scrawny, skank ass' sniffing around for even a hint of Jared again then she'd wind up with a face so broken not even her own douche of a boyfriend would want to look at her with a paper bag over her head."

Bella and Jared looked at one another before they lost it. Bella had tears streaming down her face by the time they finished laughing. It was just like Leah to insult someone that bad. Jared couldn't help but grin. Leah suited Paul. They were perfect for one another. Bella and Jared sighed as they walked into their apartment, still laughing at Leah's insults. The honeymoon had been fun, but if felt good to be home.

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(August)

Bella rushed to the bathroom, barely making it in time to purge her stomach of her breakfast. She looked up when Leah and Emily followed her into the tiny room with identical looks of concern on their faces.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Emily cooed pulling her hair back from her face.

Bella whined. "I've been like this for two weeks now." She huffed.

Leah looked at her and frowned. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I didn't want to worry anyone. And I wanted to see if…" She looked away and bit her lip.

"If…" Emily pressed.

Bella sighed. "I wanted to see if I'd get my period. We've been home for a month. I wanted to rule out all the options before I made an appointment."

Leah handed Bella her toothbrush and took it back after she'd brushed her teeth. She passed her a cup of water to rinse the toothpaste away and eyed her. "So?"

"I'm a week late." She whispered. "I went out and got a couple tests yesterday… but I didn't want to take them just yet." She said pointing to the bathroom cabinet under the sink.

They sat quiet for a minute before Leah and Emily shoved the tests into her hands. "Take them. We'll be here when you're done, ok?" Emily huffed.

Ten minutes passed by before Bella re-emerged from the bathroom, both test sticks in her hands. A look of trepidation crossed her face as she set them on the kitchen sink. She glanced to her two best friends and sighed. "I couldn't look. I'm scared."

Emily smiled knowing Bella's last pregnancy must still be weighing on her subconscious. She took Bella into her arms while Leah moved to peer down at the sticks. She let out a tiny squeal before throwing her arms around both girls. "Congratulations momma." She cooed.

The girls dressed and Bella found a small box to wrap one of the sticks in before they headed down to Leah's car. In no time at all they'd pulled into a parking space in front of the tattoo shop. Leah grinned and looked at Bella. "You ready?" She asked.

"No. What if it's too soon?" Bella grimaced.

Emily sighed. "It'll be fine. You'll see."

Sam looked up when the bell above the door chimed. He grinned when he saw Emily. The smile faded into a frown when he saw Leah and Bella as well. "Hey, guys… our girls are here." He called to the back.

Paul and Jared came to the front in time to see Sam closing and locking the door with a sign that said 'Out to lunch'. Leah and Emily were smug while Bella looked jumpy. "What's wrong?" Paul wondered.

Bella took a deep breath, hugged Jared and handed him the box in her hands. "We just wanted to see you guys. Is that so bad?" She tried- and failed- to lie as well as she planned.

Sam arched an eyebrow. "Right. And I don't believe you, why?"

Jared started at her for a moment before opening the box. He looked from the box to Bella twice. "Bella?"

"Yeah… it's right." She told him with a shy smile.

Sam and Paul jumped back, startled, when Jared let out an excited whoop and swept Bella into his arms. They looked to Leah and Emily who stood grinning ear to ear. Even Bella laughed. Paul turned to Sam with a raised eyebrow. "You feel like we're missing out on something?"

Leah took pity on him them. "Well, uncle Paul, do you want to congratulate them?" She grinned when realization dawned on their faces.

Jared was elated. "We're gonna have a baby." He whispered with his forehead resting against hers.

"We're gonna have a baby." She repeated.

Sam shook his head at Jared. "Wasted no time huh." He teased.

"Hush it, Sam. Although… I should call your doctor and tell him not to let you have anymore faulty birth control pills." Jared teased to Bella. He knew for a fact she took them every day.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Don't you two know anything?" She huffed.

"What're you talking about Leah?" Bella frowned.

Emily giggled. "Remember last month, right after you two came home, you were both sick…"

"Yeah, the food didn't sit well with us on the plane." Jared nodded.

"No… it was that stupid guy in the seat in front of us. He sneezed all over your food baby. The stewardess took yours but left mine… guess he got my food too." Bella frowned.

Leah nodded. "Bella's doctor gave her antibiotics…. Right?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with Bella's birth control?" Paul wondered.

Bella moaned and smacked her forehead. "Oh of course! Ugh how could I have been so stupid?!" She whined.

Leah and Emily giggled at the lost looks on Sam, Paul and Jared's faces. "Sometimes antibiotics can render birth control ineffective." Emily explained. She laughed at their stunned expressions.

Bella sighed too happy to be upset over how she'd gotten pregnant. "I need to make an appointment with the doctor. But I've taken two tests and Leah saw them both. They both said they were positive." She told Jared.

He only grinned. "I'll make sure to be there with you. I can't believe we're going to have a baby."

"I'm the luckiest woman in the world right now." She mused before calling for a group hug. Paul and Sam grinned and kissed her cheeks and clapped Jared on the back. Things started looking up in their little world. At least for the moment.

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Bella sat in the waiting room of her OB/GYN. Jared held her hand as she squirmed in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position. She smiled when he brought her hand up to his lips to place a calming kiss to her knuckles. The woman sitting beside her cooed at the affectionate display.

"Is this your first child?" She asked.

Bella smiled. "Yes… well… it would have been the second. I miscarried the first after a car accident." She sighed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear. I had two miscarriages before God gifted with my son. Now I'm here with my daughter -in- law because he's overseas on deployment. Life will find a way." She told them.***

Jared smiled. "That it will-" Bella's name being called interrupted his thought. Before they left he turned to the woman. "Tell your son, thank you. For serving. Soldiers aren't paid enough to be torn away from their families." He said just low enough for her to hear.

The woman smiled and nodded her head. Jared righted himself and followed Bella into the room. They watched as the nurse took her vitals and then told her to have a seat on the bench. In what felt like no time at all, a knock sounded on the door and her doctor poked his head in to greet them.

"Well now, I hear congratulations are in order." He smiled at the two. "Now, based on your answers given to the nurse, you had your last period at the start of last month, yes?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I've always gotten it the first of every month." She confirmed.

"Hmm, alright. Let's have you lay back, I just want to get your measurements. You're hcg levels read a tad higher than what would be expected- its nothing to worry too badly about, it could just be an indication of twins. Do they run in your family?"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "My mom's side of the family has had a set of twins every other generation for the past century." She huffed.

They shared a chuckle as her doctor scribbled something onto his charts. "Alright, your still too early for an ultrasound, however, we're going to bring in a fetal heart monitor and see if we can't detect a heartbeat." He told them even as the nurse knocked on the door with the monitor in hand.

Jared shook his head in amusement. Either they had listening devices in the rooms, or the nurses had impeccable timing. He smiled at Bella when she grabbed his hand. She jumped when a blue glob of gel landed on her still flat stomach, complaining about the cold. Within moments, the quiet room was bombarded with the sound of not one, but two feint heartbeats beating in near complete synchronization.

"Jay… it's our babies." Bella whispered in awe.

He kissed her temple and grinned. "We're gonna be parents Bella." He whispered. "Thank you so much baby girl."

Both her doctor and the nurse pretended to be recording notes into her chart to give them a moment of privacy. They smiled when Bella sat up, the nurse handing her a damp towel to wipe away the excess gel. They made an appointment for the following month and with that, Jared and Bella were off to tell their friends and family the good news. They'd have twins in nine months. With that thought in mind they decided that, yes, while they were earlier than planed, it was just the next step in life and both Jared and Bella couldn't be happier.

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*** Kudos as to who can guess what movie I was watching while writing this . IF not, I'll tell you in the next chapter.


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:**

So the movie I was watching was Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton was one of my favorite characters. And my kids absolutely love dinosaurs. So it was a win/ win situation. Lol.

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Chapter 16

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(October)

Bella sighed and leaned back against the chair in front of her desk. The kids in her class sat quiet, working on their class work and for once everyone had decided to behave- not that she'd complain anyways. It wasn't more than five minutes later that the principle as well as two officers- detectives by the looks of their suits- knocked on her door to gain her attention. Bella was surprised as well as fearful. Nothing good came from seeing an officer outside of a police station- outside of a friendly visit with her father's deputy's.

The kids looked up and started giggling, complete distracted by the officers now walking into their classroom. Bella hushed them and told them to continue their work. She noticed that the principle had pulled a substitute into the class to keep the kids under control and smiled in thanks.

"Mrs. Cameron, my name is Detective Swafford, this is my partner Detective Holt." He said holding hand out to her. He remembered her from the picture he'd seen at Jared's work station. She was cute then, but with the pregnancy glow, she was gorgeous. He mentally scolded himself. He needed to be subjective. He saw plenty of cute faces during the day, but he only wanted to see one after his shift ended each night.

She shook their hands and eyed their badges close before looking between them with a small measure of curiosity. "Not that I'm opposed to social calls from detectives, but… can I ask what happened?"

"Straight to the point… you marry a cop or something?" Holt asked with a playful, boyish smile.

Bella shook her head. "No, my dad is the police chief of Forks. Again, did something happen?"

Detective Holt sighed. He shook his sandy blonde hair out of his face. His grey-blue eyes danced in skepticism. "We have reason to believe that Edward Cullen is responsible for damage and the defacing of the property owned by your husband and his partners. The front windows were shot out while there were people inside the building. Several large, fist sized rocks were thrown through the glass and both your husband and your brother were taken to the ER."

Bella gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Is he alright? Are they ok? Was Sam hurt at all?"

"Mr. Cameron has minor cuts along his arms from the shattered glass as well as a slight head wound from one of the bullets grazing near his temple. Your brother has a few scratches to the left side of his face from the glass and a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Your brother's wife asked that we come here to check on you." Swafford said.

"When we arrived, your vehicle appeared damaged and vandalized as well. This was inside the front drivers seat." Detective Holt said, handing her a plain white piece of card stock in a plastic evidence bag. "I'm afraid we're going to have to tow your car out of the parking lot and impound it to collect evidence. Can you verify the handwriting for sure?"

_You bitch! I'm going to lose everything because you took the heathen instead of me! How could you choose him when he has nothing to offer you?! I could have given you everything! You just wait. You'll regret it. I'll see to that!_

Bella swallowed hard. "That's his handwriting." She whispered feeling sick.

"We have cameras in place if you need them." The principle chimed in while wrapping a soothing arm around Bella's shoulders. Knowing she was pregnant with twins, as well as her past history with the last pregnancy, she didn't want one of her favorite teachers to have any amount of undue stress.

"Can I ask what he meant? I know it's obvious, but we need a clear idea of how to proceed before we can press the issue." Detective Swafford said. His hair was dark, and trimmed neat. Overall, he looked well put together, though his green eyes were hard. Bella guessed former military.

"Yeah… um… Edward and I broke up a while ago."

"Can you define a while?" Holt wondered.

"Two years ago now… He's kind of rich and plenty spoiled. I guess his mom and dad didn't like his new girlfriend, so he came to me and told me he wanted me back. I learned later that he'd lose his inheritance if he didn't find someone respectable to marry. His sister Alice told me that."

"What made him so aggressive towards you?" Holt asked.

Bella swallowed and smiled when she felt the principle's arm wrap her in a comforting hug. "I started dating again a few months after our relationship ended. My brother, his best friend and other partner- Sam Uley, even my husband told him to leave me alone. Edward didn't listen to me. He started having his sister stalk me when I'd go on dates. After they were over, before we'd get into the car to go home, Edward would make a scene.

"When I started dating Jared, Edward became aggressive and even more persistent. He put bruises on me a few times, and Paul warned him that if it kept up I'd get my father involved." She shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Cameron, but if he harassed you that much, why didn't you say something to the polie?" Holt asked. He looked at his partner wondering if she'd been abused during the time they'd been together too. Most abused spouses never reported the abuse for fear of what would be done to them in retaliation.

Bella sighed. "Because he didn't showing aggressive long term behavior while we dated. It became more a convenience for him to keep me single. Half the time it worked, at least until Jared and I started dating. Paul knew, and he made it known that if it kept up, he'd say something. After that it stopped for a while.

"Edward confronted me on valentines day last year. He left some bruises on my arm and provoked Jared and my brother. He got quiet after I told him the next time I saw him I'd go to the Port Angeles police. I guess he must have listened."

"Is that all there is to it?" Swafford asked. He had seen her hesitance.

Bella shook her head. "After I got home from my honeymoon in July, the receptionist told me I had a package waiting. I don't think he knew I'd been married yet. He had sent me a lot of expensive jewelry and told me I could have more if I would take him back. I left in on his doorstep the next day with a note that said to leave me and my husband alone."

"Has he been stalking you since he found out you were married?" Holt asked shooting his partner a look. This had started to look more like a clean cut case of revenge from an obsessive ex.

Bella shrugged. "He's been quiet. I've heard more from his sister than I have from him. Now, if it's all the same to you, you've just told me my husband is in the hospital and my brother as well, but with gunshot wounds. I'd like to get back to my class so I can finish the day and go and see him."

Mrs. Johnson shook her head. "No sweetie. A substitute can cover your last two hours. You go and see how your husband's doing."

Bella smiled. "Thank you, but… I don't have a car to get there now." She sighed. "I'll have to call my sister -in- law."

"we'd be more than happy to give you a ride to the hospital. We have to take a statement from your husband and your brother." Swafford told them.

Bella smiled again. "Thank you, I'd appreciate it."

The ride to the hospital was met with a comfortable silence. The detectives had never seen such a calm force in a woman. She was an enigma to them and they wondered where she got her strength. Young and pregnant, they figured nine times out of ten the stress would cause a woman to break down and yet, she showed no outward signs of stress.

It didn't take them long to figure out that she wasn't that different from most woman they had encountered. It took seeing her husband bandaged and sitting on a hospital gurney to do the trick. While she didn't go into hysterics, she did cry and fuss over him. They watched as Jared soothed her, telling her he was fine. She fussed over her brother after that, checking the bandages and hugging him tight. It took her a few minutes to settle down enough to let them talk at all.

"Mr. Cameron, I'm Detective Swafford, I don't know if you remember me or not- I was in your shop a few months ago." He said with a smile.

Jared grinned. "Yeah, I remember you. I just didn't realize you were a detective."

"This is my partner, Detective Holt. Can you tell us what happened today?" He didn't want to be too personal with him. It would draw his credibility to be as subjective as possible into question.

Jared sighed. "It happened so fast. One minute we'd been about to open the shop, the next I've got a bullet grazing the side of my head. I got scratched by the front window glass too. Is Sam alright? I didn't see him in here." He asked after a minute.

"Mr. Uley's still in the building with the first responders. He said he was in the back room when he heard the first rock hit." Holt told them.

Paul nodded his head. "Yeah. That's right. Leah and Emily sent over some food for us to have for lunch. He wanted to put it away so it wouldn't spoil while Jay and I opened the front. I saw the first rock smash the window and hit Jay. After that it's all kind of a blur."

"Your wife's car received damage as well, Mr. Cameron. We have reason to believe Edward Cullen's responsible there as well. Can either of you tell me, does this handwriting look familiar?" Detective Holt asked showing them the note.

Paul frowned and Jared's eyes narrowed. "That's his." Paul said.

"I'm sorry baby." Jared sighed when he saw Bella look away.

Bella smiled. "It's not your fault. I love you, Jay. Please don't forget that. I married you. I chose you." She whispered.

Detective Holt sighed. "I want to ask you to please stay in the area. I don't want him to get bold and try to do this again. If you have anything else to add, here's my card, please feel free to call me. We should have plenty of evidence with the school camera's as well as witness reports of the stalking and harassment to place Edward Cullen into custody until he can go in front of a judge."

Leah smirked. "In other words, you're going to arrest his ass this time?" She asked.

"Leah." Paul tried to hide his smirk as he kissed Leah's temple. Bella smiled in apology to the detectives.

Detective Swafford smirked. "Yes ma'am." They said their goodbyes and promised to be in touch.

Jared sighed for the umpteenth time since he'd arrived in the emergency room. He ran his hands over Bella's growing stomach and kissed her shoulder. "How bad is your car?"

"It's a good thing you have a car too." She huffed.

"That bad?"

"Lets put it that way. I have no windows, headlights, tail lights or side view mirrors. The paint is scratched to high heaven and he carved into all four tires. As far as the cosmetic damage, my seats are ripped, there's some kind of grease poured inside and the pictures of us that I had taped to my visor are destroyed."

"Think Sam's dad can fix it?" Paul asked.

Bella shrugged. "I hope so! I love that car!"

"I hope the detectives have it all documented too. Your insurance company will have a field day otherwise." Leah huffed.

Bella's phone went off in her purse causing her to groan. She cursed when she looked at the caller id screen. "Hey dad."

She rolled her eyes and mouthed 'Emily' causing Leah to snicker. "No. He's fine. It's all just surface cuts. They're only keeping him here because one of them grazed his head. No, Paul is ok too… it was a shoulder wound. No… oh here!"

Paul arched his eyebrow when Bella thrust her phone into his hands. Bella glared at him. "Talk to dad so he'll stop worrying!" She snapped.

Paul eyed Leah, praying she didn't get moody when they decided to have kids. "Hey dad… no, I'm fine. Yeah… yup. No, Sam is still there. Putting our food away saved him a gunshot wound too. Yeah, Jay is fine too…. No, just nicked his temple some. Bella went off on a nurse." He smirked when Bella whirled around to stare at him with her mouth open.

"I did **not**! Of all the insufferable-" Jared's chuckle quelled her outburst.

"Ok, so she didn't yell at anyone. But she wants to scream at Edward. Yeah, he messed her car up bad from how she described it. Yeah. Maybe. Do you think you could ask him? Cool. Thanks dad, I'll tell them. Love you too. Bye." He hung up with a shake of his head.

"Well?" Bella asked.

Paul grinned. "He's gonna talk to Josh for us. And he also said we're all coming over for dinner this weekend. No excuses. Mom's having a fit and wants all of there so she can fuss over us."

Bella moaned and thumped her head against the wall. "He's got to go over protective now?" She whined.

Two hours later, they'd been released with orders to head home and relax. They piled into Leah's car and drove back to the shop. Bella cursed under her breath at the sight of the damage done. Their sign- Native Ink- was shattered on the ground. Nearly all of the front glass window had been busted out from the rocks thrown at it. Paul only shook his head. Sam met them at the door with Emily next to him. They'd been allowed to gather their things and then they'd been asked to leave for at least two hours until the police could get things boarded up and photographed.

Jared sighed and led them all back to his apartment. What had started off as a good day had just gone down the drain.

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Carlisle Cullen was known to be a ruthless defense lawyer in the court room. He could have been a doctor or a surgeon, but he found his true calling the day he first joined the debate team when he was still in high school. He was a formidable opponent in the court room and had a success rate that was well and above his peers and colleagues. What shocked him, however, was when his son called him from the Port Angeles jail house to tell him he'd been arrested and asked him to post his bail.

When he traveled down to the station the following morning to learn the details of the arrest, he could only shake his head in astonishment. The things he'd been charged with should have belonged to someone else. He'd asked to see the detectives residing over the case and wasn't surprised to see Detective Swafford was one of them.

The man had moved out of Seattle only six months earlier, but Carlisle had dealt with him a great deal throughout his career with the SPD. It was usually him with which Carlisle had the most difficulty winning his cases. Serving in the marines for eight years made detective Swafford too thorough sometimes, and nearly impossible to crack under pressure.

Watching him now as he interrogated Edward, he started to see just why he'd earned the nickname Old Bull in the sheriffs office. He was quiet, but he still made Edward squirm. He hadn't even taken out the photo's of the damage done, nor shown him the letter that was left on the front seat of Bella's car. It took less that thirty minutes for Edward to confess to the detectives in the room that he had indeed thrown each of the skull sized rocks into the window with the intent to harm both Jared and Paul.

Carlisle was horrified when he learned just how long he had stalked and harassed Bella- down to and including attempting to shoot both Jared and Paul as they went about getting ready to open their shop the previous day. The girl had always impressed him and his wife with her determination, poise and manners. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched detective Swafford pull a confession from the lips of his son- without trying- in little under thirty minutes.

He'd been set to post his son's bail and smooth things over with a judge in order to keep his son out of jail. He hadn't thought Edward capable of such atrocities. Hearing all of it, he looked at the defense lawyer to his left- the one trying to keep that from happening- and shook his head. The man was just out of law school, if he won and kept Edward from serious jail time, it would be a miracle.

"There's no way I can even fathom what my son thought he'd accomplish. As far as I'm concerned, he can get himself out of this mess. I need to make some phone calls. Please excuse me." Carlisle shook the hands of the lawyer, then with detective Holt who stood in the room as well. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Carlisle made his way down the roads of Port Angeles. It took him fifteen minutes to find his destination, and when he was ready, he put the car in park, turned off the ignition and made his way into the building.

A knock on the door and ten minutes of waiting later and Carlisle was greeted with the shocked and apprehensive face of Bella Cameron- nee Swan. He smiled at her, trying to show her that he wasn't there to cause any trouble. "Hello Bella. It's been a while since we last saw each other."

Bella nodded. "It has. What can I do for you Car- Mr. Cullen?"

Jared heard the name and was at his wife's side in a moment. He smiled and nodded, but his eyes were hard. "Everything alright?"

Carlisle sighed. He understood why the hostilities were so high. "I wanted to come by today and offer my sincerest apologies for the actions of my son taken against the both of you. I understand that he'd been stalking you for quite some time, Bella, and I in no way shape or form condone such behavior."

Bella gave a tight lipped smile towards the man. She had never had any problems with him and had always found he and his wife to be relatively laid back for all the money they seemed to possess. "It's not a problem anymore Carlisle. It's in the past where it should lay."

"Would you allow me to pay for damages done to your shop then Mr. Cameron?" Carlisle asked.

Bella smiled. "Come inside, Carlisle. I'll call Sam and my brother. Can we offer you a drink?" She asked as the door closed behind him.

"No. thank you. I hope I'm not imposing too much."

Jared shook his head. He had nothing against Edward's dad. This was the first time he'd ever met the man, but already he could tell he was genuine. Both Paul and Bella always said he'd been respectable and polite. He had to wonder what happened to his kids though.

It wasn't twenty minutes later that Paul and Sam walked through the door followed by Leah and Emily. After a brief round of introductions, Carlisle got down to business and offered to pay the complete cost of repairs done to the shop as well as any charges not covered by Bella's insurance for her car. All in all, it was to be the full cost of Edward's inheritance. Carlisle also informed them he wouldn't be posting Edward's bail. If convicted, Edward could serve up to five years in jail for vandalism- more if he got convicted for assault with a deadly weapon and a conspiracy to commit murder.

When he left, Bella curled up next to Jared and let the silence fall over the room. She'd been shocked that her ex boyfriends father would offer to pay for anything at all.

"It makes sense in a way. He's paying the damages with Edwards money. But it must mean he doesn't think Edward will leave the court room unscathed either." Leah mused.

"I'm sure he doesn't. He has amazing instincts about the way cases will go. Carlisle's ruthless in the courtroom. Edward told me horror stories about him. Most of the people he defended were in fact guilty, but Carlisle made them appear to be angels." Bella told them all.

Emily sighed. "I hope they don't draw it out too long." She mused. She grinned when they all nodded in agreement.

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(December)

Jared, Paul and Sam sighed when they walked through the door of Emily and Leah's bakery with Bella in tow. They'd only just left the courthouse. It had taken no time at all for the evidence to mount against Edward. Alice paid his bail, and they'd appeared in court as they'd been asked. They didn't expect to lose. Edward's lawyer had put up a good fight, but in the end, it hadn't been enough.

The judge looked Edward square in the eye and told him that toddlers had more sense before handing him into the custody of the Port Angeles City Jailhouse. The look in his eyes had been one of fury as he looked towards Bella and Jared. He had made to lunge toward them only to be held back by the court guards. It had shaken Bella to see him so angry.

A collective sigh was released when they sat together at one of the booths. Bella could breathe completely free now. Edward wasn't dogging her every step and the shop had been repaired. Her jeep had been entrusted into the capable hands of her cousin and Sam's dad and was due to come back to her in two or three weeks.

"Well, I'm glad that's done." Sam grinned, finally breaking the quiet that blanketed them.

"Me too. Maybe five years will teach him a lesson." Emily grinned.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I don't see that happening. I wish he could have just gotten it through his head. I hate all the drama that he caused. Right up until the end!"

Jared grinned at her. "Well there won't be anymore of that for a while. Not until the little ones get here." He said running his fingers over her rounding belly.

Leah and Emily cooed at them causing Sam and Paul to chuckle. None of them noticed a petite figure dancing into the bakery on the arms of what some would describe as a walking behemoth of a man with black hair, green eyes and bulging muscles. Her blonde hair bounced as she made her way over to them. Behind them entered another man, lanky in frame with blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes. They blinked when a purse was sat down at the end of the table.

It took the girls all of a minute to recognize the woman in front of them. Rosalie McCarty- nee Hale stood with a smirk on her red painted lips and arms crossed over her generous chest. Bella was the first to stand and offer her a hug. Leah and Emily followed suit, squealing and giggling, while the men all shook their heads.

"I'm sorry I missed the trial- if you can even call it that. What a joke!" Rosalie told her when the squealing had subsided.

Bella shrugged. "It's ok Rosie. You've been busy."

"No. I wasn't informed." She sniffed. "Lord knows I put that little pixie- sorry Jazz- in her place."

"It's alright. I just never thought someone could be… well like that." He said with a shrug.

Bella waved her hand towards Rosalie's brother. "Hey Jazzy."

"I forgot you used to call him that." Rosalie said with a giggle.

Bella grinned. "Only to make him mad. That one was just to reminisce."

"One free pass for old times sake." Jasper teased.

"So, guys, let me introduce you to my husband. Bella already knew him, though she never told me." Rosalie huffed. "But, this is Emmett. Emmett, this is Leah and her cousin Emily."

Emmett grinned and waved. "Hey." It was all he offered.

Leah grinned. "Well, this is my Paul. And sitting across from Emily is her husband Sam. This here is Jared. He and Bella were just married a few months ago." She teased.

Rosalie shook her head. "Wasted no time huh." She quipped.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I blame antibiotics and birth control." She huffed.

"Bella! Come on, I thought we talked about that when it happened to Lauren in high school!" She snickered.

Bella chuckled. "It's been a few years since high school Rosie. But I think we'll be fine."

"Well I don't!" Rosalie grinned when the rest inhaled.

Bella eyed her. "No?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope. I KNOW you'll be just fine." She grinned when her friends relaxed.

Bella hugged her again. "I wish you lived closer. I miss you!"

"Oh, Bella! I miss you guys too! I wish we lived closer as well, but we can always visit! And, now that I have your number…" She paused to give her a pointed look, "We can keep in touch more."

Bella blushed. "I promise. I'll call you once a week. Does that make up for it?" She teased.

"It's a start." She quipped.

The group broke down into laughter. Promises were made for them to keep in touch. Rosalie would be leaving with Emmett to go home soon with Jasper following her. He had a life of his own again and he felt more free that he had in months. It showed on his face, and Bella couldn't have been more happy for them.

None of them noticed another petite woman standing on the opposite side of the street, staring at them through the glass windows. Alice Cullen had been livid when she learned that Bella had married Jared. But now, seeing them all together, she only wondered just what she had done so wrong. It still hadn't hit her that she had lost not only her cousin, but her boyfriend and her best friend all because she had been too selfish and condescending to think about just how other people perceived her.

"_If you see me on the street again Alice, just walk the other way. I don't want anything more to do with you or your parents OR your brother. So just… please… just please leave me alone_."

Those had been some of the most painful words for Alice to hear from Bella. But she had been right. Alice saw it now. Bella was happy- at peace even. She was married, had a career, had a family who loved her, and now she'd be someone's mother. Somehow, she'd been right. Alice said a silent prayer, hoping that things stayed happy for Bella. She would do what had been requested of her, she'd stay away. Once her brother was released, she'd make sure he stayed away too.


	18. Chapter 17

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**Chapter 17**

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(**April- 2 weeks until due date**)

Bella sighed and she leaned back against the plush cushions of her uncles worn but oh so comfortable couch. Her back twinged yet again causing her to shift around and close her eyes until it passed. The water bottle and heating pad she had been using worked for a short time, but now she'd starting feeling the pain even more regardless.

It had been happening all day long starting from early in the morning. Her back ached, her stomach felt tight and she felt nauseous. If not for her being the size of a whale and already pregnant with twins, she might have believed mother nature had thought to grace her with her period.

She sighed and looked at the calendar again, wishing her due date was here already. She grumbled under her breath about stubborn children causing her uncle to chuckle- which earned him a menacing glare that he tried hard to ignore. He found no shame in admitting pregnant women could be scary when they were angered.

She'd been on bed rest for the last two weeks and had hated every moment of it. When she wasn't in bed, she had to be sitting down with her feet elevated. It all came about at the last checkup. They had taken her vitals and right away Jared knew something was wrong; the look on the nurses face said it all.

They had come into the room again ten minutes later- just to recheck- and taken her blood pressure another time. It was fifteen minutes after that when her doctor came in and told her that her blood pressure was too high and she'd been told to go home and, under no uncertain terms, relax for the rest of the day.

She had gone back the next day and had the same thing happen. After calling an ambulance to transport her to the hospital, they put her in a room to monitor her while they pushed drugs into her until her blood pressure dropped. They made her family aware, and upon finding out that Bella had a nurse practitioner as good as an aunt to her, she got moved to La Push and put on strict bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. Billy had volunteered to house her, seeing as he was disabled and Sue came daily to check on him now that Jacob was busy with work and school.

"It'll be alright Bella. Sue will be here soon to take you to your appointment." Billy soothed his nieces frazzled nerves.

Bella gave him a tired smile. "I know. I just hate it. All the problems… I can't help but ask why sometimes." She grimaced as she moved herself into a more comfortable position. She hissed when her back spasmed and her stomach got tight for a moment.

"The spirits never give us more than we can handle, sweetheart. You're a strong woman and your soul is gentle. Any lesser woman would have succumbed by now, yet you've endured." He pointed out to her. He watched her in concern for a brief moment, only to relax when she let out a sigh and shifted her weight around so she could sit more comfortable.

Bella smiled at that. She giggled when one of the twins started to kick. Billy watched in amusement. It had fascinated him when he'd seen it with Sarah, and now to see it again with his niece- it would never get old. He couldn't wait to meet her twins. Somehow he just knew they'd be a complete handful. He couldn't wait for it.

"Here, feel… They're fighting again." She said placing his hand over her belly. She grinned at his goofy smile when they yet again started to kick and move in her belly.

They were broken from their bubble of happiness by a knock on the screen door seconds before they saw Jared. He grinned at Billy and swooped down to kiss Bella on the cheek. "Hey you two. Why's it so quiet in here?" He wondered.

"I got tired of watching stupid soap operas. All of them are the same- all over dramatic love triangles, he said- she said petty fights and back stabbing with some secret love children thrown into the mix." Bella huffed.

Billy and Jared laughed. "That's my woman." Jared teased.

Bella rolled her eyes. "How'd work go?"

"Leah and Emily had a field day with Kim today." He said.

Billy and Bella leveled him with the same arched eyebrow and expectant stare. He shook his head in amusement- She was a member of the Black family for sure. "She came into the shop again today. She wanted to see me. I refused and went into the back to get away from her. That woman's a walking soap opera personified- so Sam said."

Bella chuckled. "She's lucky I'm on bed rest. I'd give her a piece of my mind too." She huffed.

"Explain to me how one of my god daughters has anything to do with this? I was told that your ex was run off, does she not understand the words, 'married man'?" Billy wondered.

Jared smirked. "Leah and Emily brought us lunch. When they saw me stomping back into the back they thought a customer had been ignoring the wedding band- it happens sometimes with us. I told them about Kim being there and they went ballistic." He told them.

Bella shook her head with a pout. "I missed it too." She sighed.

They were interrupted by boisterous laughter as their friends walked in the door, all of them led by Jacob. Billy leveled them with a glare and turned back to Jared and Bella. He rolled his eyes when Bella grinned. "They'll never learn to enter a house quiet." He sighed.

Bella smirked and leaned her head on Jared's shoulder. "They've only just left home, Uncle Billy. Wait till they're living with women of their own. That will teach them."

Quil snorted. "Yeah, sure Bells. There's not a woman alive that would tame these guys."

"So you're tamed then are you?" Embry teased.

Bella arched an eyebrow, scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. They saw it and sat down quick. Jared snickered and Billy simply grinned. Jacob rolled his eyes. "The twins aren't even here yet and you've perfected the 'mommy stare' Bella. Damn what do you do, stare at a mirror all day long?!"

"Tease all you want, Jacob Ephraim Black, but just so you know, you're clothes are cleaned and folded. If you want to have a sweet cousin who does those kinds of things for you, you'll stop teasing her now." Bella grinned.

Jacob's eyes widened. "What?! Bella you're amazing!"

"Damn Bella. That's not cool!" Quil whined.

Jared laughed. "I'm sure she washed your work clothes too guys." He teased.

"Oh I did. They're in Jake's old room with his clothes too. Besides, there's only so many books I can read, and only so much TV I can watch. So long as I sort them first, Billy puts the clothes in the washer and dryer for me as well as the detergent." Bella grinned.

Jared huffed. "Baby… what happened to bed rest?"

"I got bored. Besides, I need to get up and walk around or I can get bed sores. Sue even said it would be ok for me to do laundry so long as I sat down to do it. You can ask uncle Billy, I was!"

Billy held his hands up in a surrender motion. "Nuh uh! I learned not to argue with pregnant women a long time ago!"

A knock on the screen door alerted their attention to Sue as she stepped through into the house. She smiled and kissed the crown of Bella's head. "Sorry I'm late sweetheart."

"It's alright Sue. I'm just visiting with these nerds." She teased pointing to her friends and Jared as well.

"Hey!" Jacob, Embry, Quil and Jared pouted.

Sue shook her head and took a seat next to Bella. "Yes, well, let's hope they didn't get you too excited today. I don't want another earful from your doctors again. You've given everyone quite the scare missy."

"See! Baby… its called bed rest so you don't scare us!" Jared teased.

Sue glared. "What did you do today?"

"Not too much. I did laundry. Um… I got up to make a sandwich for myself. The twins didn't let me eat too much. I've had an upset stomach for a while now." Bella pouted.

Sue shook her head and sighed. "Stubborn as the day is long. Alright. Let me check you out before going to the doctors. I don't want them to think you haven't been taking care of yourself. Let me see your arm sweetie."

Jacob watched and noted the worried look in Sue's eyes. Sometimes he hated how hard Bella had it. Other times, as he watched Jared calming her, easing away her fears, he couldn't help but think how much stronger she had become. He waited on baited breath for Sue to let her know if there were any problems today.

Sue smiled. "It looks good. It's high, but I think that's from the excitement of having friends here. How do you feel otherwise?"

Bella shrugged. "I'm achy in my back, but I was told that happens with twins. That and my stomach cramped kind of bad earlier." She huffed.

"Boys, out of the room. I need to check her." Sue snapped.

Quil and Embry arched their eyebrows. "Huh?" They asked.

"She's gonna stick her fingers up my hoo-hah to see if I'm dilated or not you idiots. Now leave!" Bella growled.

Jared and Jacob snickered and dragged their now blushing friends from the room. Billy patted Jared's arm and wheeled himself from the room as well with a smile on his lips. Sue shook her head. "Alright sweetie. How long have you been feeling cramps?"

"All day? If I moved a certain way it hurt more." She said.

Sue frowned. "Were they constant? Or did they come and go? Are you sure they weren't contractions?" She wondered.

"I don't think they were contractions, but they didn't bug me too bad so I didn't time them. I just moved into a different position and ignored it." She said. "That and I've been using the heating pad off and on all day today too."

Sue sighed. "That's not good Bella. You should have said something if it bugged you."

"Um… before you check me, can I go to the bathroom? You pushing on my stomach like that has them pushing on my bladder!" Bella whined.

Her pout had Sue chuckling. "Of course. Come on, I'll help you." She said helping Bella stand.

"Oh I'll be so glad when I don't feel like a beached whale anymore!" Bella huffed as she made her way down the hallway. She made it all of ten steps before she felt a gush of liquid run down her legs. Her face turned beet red as she looked at Sue. "Oh! Um…" Another gush of liquid followed an intense and immediate jolt of searing pain that licked its way up her spine and had her crying out, clinging to Sue.

"Oh… oh sweetie, ok. It's alright. I think your water just broke. I'm sure now that you've been having contractions all day long. How you ignored the pain is beyond me." Sue chided with a gentle smile. "Come on, back to your bedroom. I need to check you. Jared!"

Jared nearly slipped in the mess in the hallway. Shock registered on his face when he saw Sue helping Bella to her bed. "Sue… what… is she alright!?"

"Jared, I need you to listen. Bella's water just broke. I'm going to time the contractions now. She's in active labor now. I'm going to need your help. Do you understand?" Sue questioned.

Bella gasped; the mild pain that had been nipping at the back of her mind had turned into a full and intense bite to her nerves that she couldn't ignore anymore. She whimpered as another contraction hit, clinging to Sue while the woman rocked her and coaxed her to just breathe. When it ended, Sue and Jared helped her move back into her make shift bedroom, helping her lay back on the bed. In all the commotion, they didn't see their friends' concerned faces floating into the doorway of the room.

"Alright sweetie, this may feel odd. You'll feel some pressure but I need to see how close you've gotten to having those beautiful babies of yours." Sue cooed.

Jared waved Jacob, Embry and Quil out of the room. He explained what had happened then turned to look at Sue. She frowned and turned to him. "She's got maybe another hour or so before she can push. How she ignored the pains of early labor I'll never know, but she's been at it all day now. Get me clean towels, a bowl of warm water, rubbing alcohol and a blanket. Billy, call Charlie." Sue yelled.

Bella whined when Jared left. "I'm scared. I don't want to do this. I can't do this." She hissed. "I'm not ready for this!"

Sue grinned. "You'll be fine, sweetheart. Just breath through the pain. It only hurts more because you know what's going on now. You'll be alright!"

Jared and Jacob came back into the room with the things Sue needed and set them down close to the bed. Before Jacob could leave, Bella caught his hand. "Call my mom? Please. And Leah and Emily."

"Sure Bells. It'll be alright. I'll keep everyone outside ok?" Jacob promised. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you little- big cousin. Hurry and let me see those gorgeous kids, ok?"

Bella's smile faded as a hard contraction hit. Her back arched off the bed and Jacob paled seeing his cousin in such pain. He looked to Jared who sat behind Bella and shook his head. He didn't envy the man in that moment. He wondered where he got the strength from to sit and watch his wife go through that kind of torture. The door closed behind him and he shivered when he heard Bella cry out again.

Quil paced the floor. When he saw Jacob come into the living room, still pale and looking scared, he rushed to his side. "Is she ok? Why's she screaming so much? I thought Sue gave her pain medicine."

"We need to call everyone. Sue said the babies are gonna be here in a couple hours. Bella's doing ok for now. She wants to do this without medicine- her choice...hence the screaming." He frowned. "I don't envy Jared. The look on Bella's face made ME want to feint." He added.

Billy nodded. He remembered that look. "You call Charlie. I'll handle my sister." He instructed, changing the subject. They all winced when they heard Bella's loud, pain filled whimper.

"Man, I hope I never have kids. I can't imagine my future wife going through all that. It sounds like she's killing herself." Embry quipped.

Billy chuckled and turned to him. "Yes, but, then you'd miss the feeling of holding a newborn child in your arms for the first time. You'd miss seeing your child along every other milestone life has to offer. All women go through this. It's a part of life. The pain makes them stronger. And Bella is the strongest woman I know."

It was an hour later when the final scream of pain echoed through Billy Black's now crowded home. Bella's friends and family- minus her mother and step father who made arrangements to join them within the week- waited to meet the twins. Jared had been in the back room with Bella for two hours now, and everyone had started getting anxious. Sue left to check on the new family again, leaving everyone to talk amongst themselves. The talking stopped at once when both Jared and Sue walked into the room, each one holding a small bundle in their arms.

Jared stopped in front of Linda and Michael first. He grinned and placed his son in his dads arms. "Dad- grandpa- say hi to Tristan Declan Cameron. He's 7lbs, 11 oz and 23 in long."

Sue did the same to Charlie. "Say hello to Savannah Grace Cameron, grandpa. She's 7 lbs 5 oz 18 in long." She grinned.

"Tristan's tiny!" Quil mused.

Joy rolled her eyes. "He's a twin. All twins are born small, they have to share the space. Though I think if you had been a twin, you would have eaten your sibling out of house and home in the womb." She teased, smirking when he glared around a mouthful of cookie.

Paul chuckled and walked over to his friend. He clapped Jared on the back and gave him a nudge with his shoulder. He was glad that Sue had a lot of what she needed at the house already to take care of the babies. They watched as the twins were passed around to their friends and family after all hands were washed and sanitized to be admired by them as well.

"How's Bella?" He asked after a few minutes.

"She's resting. You can go say hi if you want. I'll bring the twins back in a minute or two." He grinned.

Paul nodded and headed back to see Bella. He knocked on the door and slipped inside when she called to open it. "Hey sleeping beauty. Or should I call you momma now?" He teased.

Bella smiled. "Paul. Hi." She said patting the bed next to her leg. She giggled when Paul placed a kiss to her forehead.

"You did good Bella. The kids are beautiful. And I'm glad that it went alright." He said in a rush.

Bella held his hand. "Me too. I've had enough hospital visits to last a lifetime. Is everyone here?" She wondered.

"Just the usual suspects. Word got out that you were in labor. After that poor uncle Billy ran out of room. Tiffany, Joy and Linda started making food for all of us as soon as we all got here." Paul teased her.

"Leave it to you to think with your stomach." She teased. "Can you help me? I want to go see them." She asked.

Paul bit his lip. "You sure? You DID just give birth- with no medicine at that… to twins." He reminded her.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. I had Jared help to change me before he left the room. Besides… don't you know anything about our culture. Native Women perfected the art of having a baby and walking again after only an hour." She laughed.

"Alright, alright. I know. I just worry." He told her. "Too many close calls."

She smiled and leaned up to hug him. "But I'm still here. And I'm not leaving again if I can help it for a long time." She promised.

With that in mind, the two made their way into the living room. Bella was fussed over by the women in the house and made to sit in the recliner to rest while everyone ate. Jared sat beside her with their daughter in his arms, a bottle already to her lips. Her son passed from person to person so all their friends and family could say hello. Jared was already overprotective of his baby girl- something Bella found sweet and hilarious all at once.

"I'm so proud of you baby girl. You did so good." Jared whispered in her ear.

Bella smiled, her head resting on Jared's arm as they peered down at their daughter. She was the perfect mix of the two with Jared's nose and ears and Bella's hair, eyes and lips. Paul crossed the floor with his nephew held secure in his large arms. He sat on the unoccupied arm of the chair. While Savannah had her mothers light tanned skin, Tristan took after his father- his skin a gorgeous caramel tone. The rest of his features- save for his hair and eyes- belonged to Jared as well.

"Dude, Jared got cloned." Embry teased when he saw them all sitting together.

Quil tilted his head to the side. "Yeah… poor kid. At least he got his mom's hair and eyes." He teased.

"Funny… real funny." Jared pouted.

Bella giggled. "They're both gorgeous. And I'll not have you teasing my children, you two. There are enough men in this room SOMEONE will hit you for me, of that I'm sure." she smiled as they both paled.

Loud laughter filled the room at her admission as well as shouts of 'I'll do it' and 'sure Bella, no problem' and one from Sam that said simply 'not a problem Bells.'

Charlie walked up and kissed Bella's forehead. "You did amazing princess. They're the best part of both of you." He told her before clapping Jared on the back. He stood and cleared his throat. "Ok, so I know I don't have to do this, but I'm going to say it anyways. Bella, Jared, you two may not have been married for years before starting a family, but I've seen you two together. Cherish the moments with your little hellions. Time goes by too quick and before you know it, they'll be getting married and having kids of their own. They're amazing, and those two will be the center of your world now. Congratulations. You two did good."

The room's occupants applauded, murmurs of agreement spilling forth from parents lips. They spent more time talking and laughing, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere before Sue caught sight of Bella asleep in the chair. She smiled and brought it to the attention of everyone present.

"As fun as it's been, I think we need to give the new mom some time with her family. Let her get some sleep. She's going to need it." Charlie told them in a hushed voice.

It took another fifteen minutes before Jared had Bella laying in bed with the twins in the bassinet that Charlie had brought over beside them. Sue made them an appointment at the hospital in the morning so the babies could get their shots and vitals and all recommended tests could be completed. He smiled down at Bella and pulled her against him, mindful that she may be sore.

With a kiss goodnight he laid his head on the pillow willing sleep to come, knowing in as little as two or three hours they'd both be up again to start the routine of feeding and changing the twins- a routine that would continue for the foreseeable future.


	19. Epilogue

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Epilogue

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(**June**)

Bella sighed and watched two of her kids and a few of their friends lounging on the back deck of her two story cabin. The twins were both 17 now and had just graduated with honors from La Push High School. Savannah had a full scholarship to Seattle University to earn a degree in teaching- just like her mom. Tristan and one of his best friends, Wyatt, had gotten full scholarships to the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Oregon. She smiled and shook her head, thinking of all the memories she had gained over the years.

She and Jared had moved back to the reservation when her twins had turned three to be closer to family. Bella fell ill with what she guessed to be a stomach virus picked up from her class just before the move. They found out she'd gotten pregnant again battled with severe complications throughout the pregnancy. From the beginning, her iron was way too low and her blood pressure was way too high.

Jared, Paul and Sam talked and decided a second shop would be opened in Forks. Paul and Jared would run it during the week while Sam ran their shop in Port Angeles with the help of the new artist- Amberlie. Emily had taken one look at the girl and fallen in love with her. She fitted herself into their small group with ease and even started bringing her girlfriend to the shop with her on slow days. It shocked them at first because, where Amberlie was loud and perky, her girlfriend could be called shy and sometimes sensitive.

When Bella learned from Carlisle through an email that Edward had been released early for good behavior, she'd a small panic attack. Jared, Paul and Sam had come home after work to find her passed out cold on the kitchen floor with the twins in tears beside her. After only two more scares, she got placed on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy.

When the time came for her to deliver- a month and a half early- the doctor had to threaten to give her an emergency C section. She'd become tired too quick and nearly lost the strength to deliver. A nurse walking into the delivery room had the gall to ask her how she felt. It angered her enough to push a final time and then her baby- _her son_\- was born but **not **ok. In all the commotion of delivery, his umbilical cord had tightened around his neck. While Jared tried to soothe a fearful Bella, the doctor and nurses worked to save the newborn. After two dreadful minutes, Landon Michael Cameron took his first breath.

Bella made the choice then and there to have her tubes tied to prevent another pregnancy. Somehow she knew if she was to become pregnant again, something would happen to make her lose the baby. She didn't want to risk the heartache. Jared supported her and spent every waking moment not at the shop helping her raise the kids. He showed her his commitment yet again and had her falling in love with him that much more.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist breaking her from her thoughts. She smiled when she felt a soft pair of lips kissing a light trail from her shoulder to her neck. She tilted her head to the side and placed her hands over his, leaning back into his embrace.

"Hi baby." She purred. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Jared hummed and nipped at her neck- the sensitive spot just below her ear- and grinned when he heard the unmistakable sound of his oldest child groan while his friends laughed at his expense. "Your son's home." He whispered.

"I know." Bella grinned and pulled his lips to hers in a kiss, pretending as though she hadn't heard Tristan and his friends come into the kitchen.

"Mom! Please! Do you have to do that here?!" Tristan whined. His two best friends, Levi Uley and Wyatt Young stood behind him, biting their lips to keep from laughing.

"Hello boys." She grinned when Jared rolled his eyes.

"Hi Mrs. C!" They chimed in unison.

"Do your parents know you're here, Levi?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow.

Levi smirked. "I told dad I would be either here or with Wyatt. But I'm here with Wyatt now!"

Bella threw a dish towel in Levi's face. "Smart mouth. Go on before I tell your mother just who I caught you kissing the other day in the hallways."

Levi's eyes widened. "Yes ma'am!" He shouted before running out the back door.

Bella snickered and shook her head. "Some things will never change."

"You teaching high school did though." Jared pouted. "I recall you once saying 'teenagers are too obnoxious. Whatever happened to that huh?"

Bella grinned. "The high school offered me more money, and they needed an English teacher. Besides, look at it this way… no one has dared to mess with Savannah."

"Ok, so those are all good points. But now I have more competition." He whined.

Bella giggled. "Not at all. You still have my undivided attention. '_Os meum es aeternum_', remember?"

Jared grinned and pressed his lips to hers again. "Of course I do." He whispered in between kisses causing her to giggle.

"_Moooom_! Do you have to do that?!" Tristan huffed when he saw them.

Jared winked at her. "Keep it up boy. I'll ground you until you leave for college in the fall." He warned while trying to hold back his laughter.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You'll do no such thing. Now, Tristan, go outside with your friends. **You**, oh love of my life, need to get cleaned up before you eat." She said while pointing a finger in his face.

He smirked and pretended to bite her finger causing her to shake her head and giggle. With one last soft kiss to her lips, he made his way up the stairs to their room. "Love you!" He called over his shoulder.

"Love you more!"

"Ugh! **Parents**." Tristan huffed and walked back out to his friends with his arms full of sodas.

Within the space of two hours, the living room had filled with pre teen and teenage bodies. It had been this way one weekend a month since the kids were small. Sam and Emily had sent their twins, Levi and Brianna in order to have some down time to themselves. Paul had dropped his kids off and run. Bella didn't blame him; Danielle and Makenzii were a handful, but with Aaron in the middle of the mischief- or at the front of it and blaming his big sisters- things were bound to be chaotic.

Her eyes moved to Aiden and Sara. Jacobs kids looked just like him. Bella grinned at that. She only gave him an 'I told you so' look after his daughter was born. She had her dad's assertive attitude and her mom's quick wit- a dangerous combination as Jake made sure to whine about it every chance he got. While Aiden looked like a mirror image of him, he was his mother's son through and through in temper. It was only Bella that he never had the guts to yell at- and Leah of course.

Cheyenne and Hope were another story all together. Out of all the twins in the room, it was those two who were the most devious and crafty. Embry had definitely been cursed for all the pranks he'd played on her when they were younger. His son Carson was even known to pull a prank or two on his sisters and thus start a prank war that Embry would have to end- with a prank of his own on all of them. She had to chuckle at how innocent they looked in sleep.

Bella leaned over the back of the couch where Gracen slept. Quil's wife had given him his father's name, but he went by his middle name so as not to confuse anyone. Add insult to that injury, he took after his mother most of the time. Their daughter Ashleigh looked just like Quil, and had become just as cocky. Quil and Claire joked all the time that the spirits got mixed up when they decided to clone them, but they'd still been blessed.

Ashleigh was now curled up beside her best friend- Aiden. They reminded everyone of Jacob and Bella and it was joked about on the reservation that Quil and Jacob would end up as family when they were old enough to marry. They lay nearly close enough to touch- if one of them shifted just an inch more, they'd be shoulder to shoulder.

Jared's snickers caught her attention. She turned and arched an eyebrow at him, noticing him staring at Ashleigh and Aiden as well. "Jake and Quil would kill each other if they ever became in-laws… somehow I can see it happening though."

"Hush! You'll wake the kids." She teased hitting him on the chest.

He caught her hand and pulled her up the stairs, down the hallway and into their bedroom. He watched her change before dragging her to him on the mattress. A grin spread itself onto his lips when he caught her fingers tracing over the tattoo on his neck. Her name had been branded into his skin by Paul a week after they had gotten married. His neck sported Bella's name, but his chest- the places closest to his heart not yet covered- were for his children.

"I love you Jay." She said before kissing his neck right over her name.

Jared grinned. "I was hooked on you from the day we first met. I fell in love with you the day we had our first heart to heart in your apartment after the whole Kim fiasco, and I've seen no one else but you since you became my woman."

"Aww! Baby!" She smiled and moved to kiss him. "You're too good to me."

Jared smiled at her and moved a strand of her graying hair from her face. "It's you who is too good to me baby." Bella smiled and laid her cheek over his heart.

She and Jared were woken up from their sleep in the morning by loud squeals of laughter and groans from the kids downstairs. They smiled and laid in bed just listening to the chaos in their house. Jared chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

"They'll be in here before you know it." Bella mused.

Jared grinned. "I know how to get them out though."

"Care to share the secret or do I have to tickle it out of you?" Bella teased moving her fingers down his bare sides.

She laughed when he pinned her hands to the bed. "Nope. No tickling. I'll share everything with you that you ask of me." He promised.

A knock on their door had Jared grinning. Just as the door opened he leaned down and kissed Bella's parted lips. They broke apart minutes later when they heard twin groans from their boys. Savannah must have sent the boys to wake them.

"Mom! Dad… Savannah said breakfast is ready. Can you please stop sucking face now?!" Tristan huffed.

Jared smirked. "I don't know. Would you rather us do it in the kitchen?"

"NO! Please, no!" Landon whined. Anything else he wanted to say got interrupted by the doorbell.

Bella shook her head. "Go let everyone in boys. We'll be down after we get dressed."

"Yes ma'am." They both muttered. Bella laughed when she heard them explaining just what they caught their mom and dad doing.

"We could you know." Jared said wiggling his eyebrows.

Bella smacked his arm. "Not a chance Casanova. Not with a houseful of people!" She huffed.

"Alright. Alright. I'll give you that." He teased.

"Oh go on and go say hi!" She huffed before shoving him off of her in order to get up and get dressed.

She pulled the shirt from her body and turned to see Jared standing in the doorway staring at her. It still made her blush when she saw that look of hunger dancing in his eyes. Her body had stretch marks and scars, and she wasn't as toned as she'd been when they met, but over all, she'd not changed too much.

With a flirtatious wink, Jared sauntered out of the door, a grin on his lips. She shook her head and giggled in amusement when she heard him start barking orders at the kids in the house. She took another five minutes before she joined her friends in the living room. Looking at them all now, she couldn't help thank that she'd been blessed.

She grinned when she saw Amberlie sitting on the arm of the chair near Savannah. She had missed the twins graduation and had asked Bella to give them a kiss and a hug for her. On the opposite side of her was Amberlie's wife, Tiffany.

"Hey you two! Jared didn't say you'd be here today." Bella said kissing each of them on the cheek.

"We called him last night. The shops are both closed today so we asked if we could come tell the twins congrats." Tiffany grinned.

"Well, I'm sure they're happy." Bella said looking to her smiling daughter.

Amberlie laughed. "Oh yeah. I had to promise to look at Savannah's graduation speech later. I still can't get over how much time has flown. They were just 3 years old yesterday!" She said wiping a fake tear from her eyes.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "We grew up, aunt Amberlie."

"But you're still my baby!" Bella grinned causing his friends to snicker.

"Daaaaaaaad! Please?!" Tristan whined looking to Jared for help.

Jared shook his head and held his hands up, the same as Paul and Sam. "Nuh uh. You're on your own, boy. We all know better. Mom's and sons don't get interference. Same way no one will mess with 'Vannah."

It was Savannah's turn to blush and hide her face. "Thanks daddy." She muttered.

Jared grinned and winked at a now smirking Tristan. They all laughed when Bella poked his still ticklish ribs, causing him to jump. A shiver raced over his spine and he danced away from her prodding fingers, opting to move closer to Sam and Paul to hide.

It was Bella's turn to smirk. "That's what I thought." She said with a nod.

"Well then. We know who wears that pants in that relationship." Sam mused. He stopped laughing when Emily crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow.

Paul bit his lip, trying not to laugh. He knew the women in his life would band together to protect one another. It didn't matter if it was family or not. If one got harassed, all five of them got harassed. He'd brushed off the authority that Amberlie and Tiffany held in his life until he'd gotten a lecture about respecting the two from Leah. He learned quick after that, that Leah, Bella and Emily had adopted them as 'sisters' and they were not to be messed with at all.

Bella merely sighed. "At least Leah has her man trained." She teased.

Paul glared and rolled his eyes at his sister. "I just know better than to mess with one of you while the others can hear it. At least one on one it takes a while to be reprimanded. But together, you girls are like a pack of wolves." He said with a shudder.

"You'll survive." Leah said with a shrug.

"I have so far." Paul said with a grin.

"We all have." Bella smiled.

Jared couldn't agree more. He was grateful that he took his grandmother's advice. He'd waited, he'd listened and now the woman of his dreams was finally his to call his own until their last breath was drawn.


End file.
